Start Over
by Honeeym
Summary: Set during an Alternative version of Season Two Finale. What if Klaus had denied Stefan the cure to save Damon? What if Bonnie came up with a solution? What if it involved Caroline and time travelling? What if ...
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

"There must be another way," Elena Gilbert says again, keeping her voice down. "There must be."

Stefan rolls his eyes. He never thought he'd feel this annoyed with Elena. She has been repeating this over and over, ever since he came back from his meeting with Klaus with a stinging sense of failure. They are in Damon's bedroom – Elena, Caroline, Jeremy, Alaric and him. Their friends are watching, as the two people who love Damon Salvatore the most are reacting very differently to the news of his unavoidable and imminent death. While the brother seems to have accepted it, the friend/crush is losing it.

"Tell me again what happened," she urges him.

Stefan stays silent.

"He bit Katherine and fed her his blood. So Emily was right, Klaus' blood is the cure. He won't give it to us because he found out that I'm alive and it upsets him," she chants mechanically, echoing the words Stefan said before he fell into a complete silence. "This is my fault," she starts mumbling. "This is everything I never wanted to happen. I have to find something, quickly. I won't lose someone else, I can't lose him. It's not happening."

Normally, Stefan would get to his feet and wrap the young human into a tight embrace. He would kiss her hair and promise that everything would be alright, that he would take care of this. But everything he can hear is how she keeps saying "I" and not "we" – like it's not his brother who is agonizing just a few inches away. The vampire is deliberately looking elsewhere; the sight of Damon, his own flesh and blood, in decay, causes him physical pain. Every time Damon spits out blood, every time he groans in pain, Stefan feels like ripping his heart out, just to put an end to it. He might be the younger brother, but an overwhelming feeling of protectiveness is crushing him – as well as guilt for failing Damon.

"Stop trying," Damon whispers through gritted teeth. "Say goodbye and get over it."

"Stop talking," Elena snaps back at him. "You need to keep your strength until Bonnie comes back."

Bonnie – she is all the hope they have left. They were hoping against hope that Klaus would help them save Damon, but it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he wouldn't – he is, after all, the bad guy in the story. When Stefan came back with tears in his eyes and just shook his head after he met with the Original, Bonnie decided to try and call on her ancestors one last time. At the moment, she is downstairs, trying to find a way to wound Klaus severely enough to cause massive bleeding. Stefan is aware of the irony: he – a vampire – desperate for blood, once and again. The blood of a very untouchable, invincible Original Vampire and newly Hybrid werewolf.

Elena starts crying. Again. Jeremy rushes to his sister's side and hugs her. Stefan suddenly realizes that everyone is gathered around Elena, trying to soothe her pain. They are throwing concerned glances at Damon every now and then, but no one looks at _him_. Maybe it's because they are afraid to see the worry lines creasing his forehead, but it's more likely they assume he will be alright, unlike their very human and paper-like Elena. This is always about her, somehow, he thinks bitterly. He is not being fair, but how can he be expected to, in a situation like this?

"Caroline, do you hear what she's saying?" Elena asks.

"Still chanting."

"She'll come up with something."

That's enough. He won't have her fooling everyone into thinking there is a way out of this. It hurts too much.

"The witches gave her a hard time when I asked for a cure, earlier today. Besides, they already gave her Jeremy back," Stefan states in an expressionless voice.

"They won't let Klaus get away with everything he has done so easily," Elena objects.

Stefan shrugs. He is not strong enough to talk some sense into her. He can hear Bonnie coming back from the parlor and she is not walking with a confident step like she usually does. That can mean no good.

Bonnie enters the room with an undecipherable expression on her face. She is solemn and Stefan hears Elena's heart starting to race, along with Alaric's and Jeremy's. His own heart would race if it were still beating. The dark-skinned teenager makes her way to Damon and sits on the bed, next to him. She grabs a cold towel and mops his forehead; he closes his eyes, enjoying the brief coolness.

"Remember that night at the school when Klaus cornered me?" she says. "Remember what you said?"

_Klaus does not get to win tonight, no way. _He just nods slightly; talking requires him to take in breaths and it hurts. Despite the fever and the dementia, Damon can smell the salty tears menacing to fall from her eyes. Caroline has been crying, too. He would not have bet on those two, but somehow, he can be fine with dying surrounded by people who will miss him. He manages to open his eyes and catch a glimpse of Bonnie. A sad smile is curling her lips.

"I can save you, Damon."

His blood injected eyes widen in surprise. That comes as a real shocker. Who would have thought that the vampire hating Bonnie Bennett would be his light in the dark? He looks at Stefan over Bonnie's shoulder and the incredulous look on his brother's face almost makes him want to laugh. Everyone starts talking at the same time, Elena repeating that she knew Bonnie would come up with something, Caroline wondering if there will be consequences for her friend, Alaric asking everybody to calm down.

"Listen carefully," Bonnie commands and she feels the natural authority that her power is giving her. "Time is a very complicated concept to wrap one's head around. The future is like a crossroads; as you make decisions, you draw your path and gradually erase the others. When Damon decided to rescue Tyler and Caroline, he erased the path in which he was not going to get bitten, for example. The witches have agreed to send him back in time, to a precise moment, to change something specific."

"Obviously. Before Tyler bit him! He will be sent there to change the past!" Elena exclaims.

Stefan glares at her. She is hysterical and he can't focus with all the noise she's making. God, when did she get so unbearable?

"I'd rather you tried the spell you used on John," he tells Bonnie, ignoring the collective gasp.

"We have been through this, Stefan. You are a vampire, your life force is inexistent."

"I know these time traveling spells. They are tricky. I don't want to take chances."

"Neither do I," Bonnie says reassuringly. "They have assured me that his life would be spared."

Alaric, Jeremy and Caroline are watching from a distance. The dynamics have not changed that much since Bonnie dropped the good news. Stefan and Elena are obviously disagreeing and while Damon should be the one to make the decision, it's Bonnie who calls the shots.

"Someone must go with him," the witch says and her gaze automatically falls on Stefan.

"Just tell me what I have to do."

"I don't know," Bonnie admits and she can't believe she's seriously going to do this when there are so many things she does not know. "There will be signs for you to read, there. I'll be in touch as much as I can."

"No!" Elena screams and everyone jumps a bit. "Stefan, please. What if something goes wrong? I don't want to lose both of you," she says in a pleading voice.

That's about it. Stefan wants to stay calm and tell her that it's his _brother_ and so he will go, no matter what but his anger gets the best of him and he starts yelling at her instead.

"Damn it, Elena! I'm not going to stay here and babysit you while my brother is going to _die_!"

He immediately regrets losing his temper; she looks as if he had slapped her.

"Stefan," Caroline says softly. She puts a soothing hand on his arm and he looks down into her watery blue eyes. "Klaus is still around and if he decides to make a move while you're in the past with Damon, we will all be dead. You need to stay."

"No, it's not…"

"This is not open for discussion. Damon got bitten because he was trying to save _me_. I'm going."

Stefan looks down to his protégée and nods. As much as he feels guilty for being the one who turned Damon into a vampire, Caroline feels guilty for getting him in this deadly situation. He can see it in her eyes, the deep-rooted need to make things right. And then, he knows that just like him, she will do anything to save Damon. Except for him, she is probably the only one who can do it.

"I am trusting you with his _life_ here, Caroline," he whispers. "Are you sure?"

"I will save him."

Silence falls upon the room and everyone can hear Damon's painful breathing, reminding them that something needs to be done quickly. Bonnie asks Jeremy and Alaric to get the candles from downstairs and when they bring her everything she needs, she pauses.

"You need to say goodbye," she says, suddenly ashamed. "Whether he dies now or goes back in time, he will be lost to us."

"What?" Elena says. "No!"

"He will be alive, somewhere," Stefan says dryly. "It's the only thing that matters."

"Of course," she whispers when she clearly thinks otherwise.

The following minutes are among the most painful of Stefan's life. He feels like all the light is being drawn from the room as Alaric, Jeremy, and Bonnie bid his brother farewell. Damon stays silent, pretending he is too weak to talk, but Stefan knows better. He is frightened. He is the last one to approach Damon's bed. Unspoken words are exchanged between the two brothers as a single tear rolls down Stefan's cheek. He knows he should let go of his brother's shaking hand but he can't. His fingers are so tightly wrapped around Damon's that Caroline has to make him let go, finger by finger.

"You will be alright," Stefan finally says.

"You, too, brother," Damon whispers, and he closes his eyes.

Next thing Stefan knows, Bonnie is chanting again. Soon enough, Damon and Caroline are gone.


	2. I Can Feel Your Heartbeat

_Day One - __I Can Feel Your Heartbeat._

Caroline wanted to close her eyes and not see what was going to happen. She had already seen Bonnie use magic before, but never directly _on _her. She wondered if it was going to hurt, if she was going to feel unusually hot or cold, if she would disappear in a ray of light, like an angel. Well, all of the above. When her friend stopped chanting, Caroline barely had time to wave at them before she felt her skin go on fire. She felt violently pulled back, as if someone ten times stronger than her was grabbing her. She had to close her eyes at the brightness of the light. It felt like it was never going to stop, and all she could think about for those long minutes was how she was doing the right thing, for once. She finally landed on her back after a fall from at least 40,000 feet. When she opened her eyes, her surroundings were nothing familiar – while she had been expecting to be in the woods with Matt, Damon and Tyler, she found herself alone in a bedroom. She felt so, so exhausted that she couldn't help herself: she closed her eyes and dozed off into a peaceful sleep, wondering where Damon was and how she was going to accomplish whatever mission she was there to accomplish …

A few hours later, she slowly stretches in the bed and her eyes pop open. Where is she? Because, she's clearly not in a forest and this is not her bed either – she has been taking a nap in red silk sheets and the pillows are made of goose feathers or something just as fancy. Even the smells are foreign to her: eggs, bacon, toasts. Closing her eyes, she focuses on the noises around her. This is a huge house, more of a mansion, actually. Probably she's on the first floor and there are several people going here and there, mostly women from the lightness of their steps. There are at least three men.

Caroline is still amazed at how sensitive she can be to her environment. Just a few months ago, she would have freaked in such a situation; maybe she would have cried and asked for help. But she isn't pretty little Caroline anymore and she can deal with this on her own. She pulls the sheets away from her body and she nearly screams at her clothing. She quickly finds a dresser with a mirror. Her discreet but pretty makeup is gone and her skin is just about flawless regardless. Her French manicure is gone and her hair falls down to her waist but the worst is, she is wearing some sort of old-fashioned night gown. Surely, she looks prettier. There is something nobler in the way she stands, in the way she smiles. It's like she is looking at a much enhanced version of herself. And suddenly, in the mirror, the reflection is distorted until her face turns into Bonnie's. Suddenly, it sinks in that all the help she can get is here, staring at her in a mirror.

"What the Hell?" Caroline whispers under her breath. "What is this, Bonnie? Where am I?"

"Find Damon and look for the signs."

"I don't look like me! I am in someone's house and Damon is not with me!"

"Just play along. I'll be in touch."

And with that, Bonnie's face vanishes from the mirror, leaving only Caroline's frightened eyes looking back at herself. She wonders when Bonnie got so enigmatic. What kind of sign is she supposed to look for? Where can she find Damon? And in whose house is she? Before she can decide what to do, someone knocks on her door. Somehow, she decides that the most important in everything Bonnie has just told her is "Just play along", so she takes a deep breath and takes a few steps towards the door.

"Who is that?" she calls, slightly concerned about the answer.

"It's Dolores, Miss Jones. You are expected for breakfast. I am coming to help you get ready."

"I- I think you are mistaken," Caroline answers in a shaky voice, but she opens the door.

Before her is standing a short teenager who must be just two years younger than she is – that is, if she is still seventeen. Her hair is as long as Caroline's and she wonders if this is some kind of trend to wear very long hair and to have a flawless skin. Dolores, that's what she said her name was, doesn't seem surprised to find a complete stranger somewhere she doesn't belong, so Caroline assumes she is no stranger to this girl. That can only be good – at least Bonnie didn't just abandon her without anyone. Maybe this girl is a sign. Caroline looks at the way she is dressed and it suddenly becomes evident that she has been sent back long before Tyler bit Damon. She takes a deep breath and regains composure. _You can do this, Caroline. _

"Hello," she says tentatively, not entirely sure of how she is supposed to behave.

The young girl curtseys and makes her way into the bedroom. In a few seconds' time, the sunlight is shining bright into the room and Caroline instinctively jumps a little when the sun rays brush against her skin – luckily, she still has her ring. _Thank God._

"Is something the matter, Miss Jones?"

"Please call me Caroline," she asks, wondering where that last name comes from. "And I'm fine, thanks."

"Very well, Miss Caroline. Shall we?"

Not expecting any answer, Dolores storms around Caroline and tries to help her out of her nightgown, embarrassing the blonde beyond compare.

"I think I can do this alone," she says, a little more fiercely than she intended.

"Of course, Miss Caroline. You always do. Fetch me when you get to tying your corset?"

_Corset? This must be some kind of joke_. Caroline gives Dolores her most grateful smile and nods.

"Thank you, Dolores."

"I hate rushing you, but the gentlemen downstairs have never been very patient when it comes to the pleasure of your company," Dolores smiles, stepping out of the room. "I will be right behind the door."

At least, it gives her a little time to think. While she clumsily opens the drawers to find the god forsaken corset, Caroline feels her brain racing. She'll find out soon enough the identity of the gentlemen who are so impatient to be in her presence and from then, she will think of something. It's actually exhausting to think so much; the past hours were devoted to saving Damon from death and now, here she is, some hundred and something years in the past, looking for a damn corset. What happened to simply avoiding the bite?

In the third drawer, Caroline finds what she understands is meant to be her underwear. She rolls her eyes at the stupidity of wearing something so fully covering underneath the clothes. She puts them on and makes a mental note to tell Bonnie and Elena about it as soon as she gets back. Her very long hair bothers her when she must clap her bra and then, it's time for the medieval torture device.

"Dolores?" she calls and it takes a second for the brunette to rush in. "Ready for you."

Caroline is surprised at how strong Dolores is when she feels how tightly she ties the knots of her corset. _Thank God I don't need to actually breathe. _

"So, the…gentlemen downstairs," she starts, hoping the girl will start talking with no further invitation, like people always do in movies.

"Yes, Miss Jones – Miss Caroline?"

"Why are they so impatient to see me?"

Dolores laughs a little. It's like she is used to Caroline's awkward questions.

"M. Damon is very eager to make your acquaintance."

"Oh," she just says and inside she's dancing around because everything is about to be okay. "I happen to be very forgetful, as you know. Please tell me everything I need to know."

"Mind you, Miss Caroline, you're acting very strange. Are you sure nothing is the matter?"

Caroline internally sighs. She dislikes using her Power on innocent people but this comes as an emergency measure. From what she understands, she needs to blend and she can't have Dolores wondering what is wrong with her. She turns to face the young girl and puts her hands on the thin shoulders. She locks eyes with her and while Dolores is considering whether she should call for help or not, Caroline tries to connect their minds in a way that only vampires know how. She lets the pupils of her eyes dilate and her voice is quite authoritarian when she speaks.

"Don't question my behavior and don't be scared. Tell me everything you know about me."

"Of course, Miss Caroline. Your name is Caroline Jones and your parents are very good friends of Master Salvatore. You have been living here for a week and I was hired to keep you company and help you with everything you need. I do not know how long you are meant to stay."

"Why haven't I met Damon yet?"

"M. Damon was not home. He returned yesterday."

"What about Stefan?"

"You and M. Stefan usually take a walk around the estate every afternoon, if the temperatures are not too unbearable. From what you have told me, M. Stefan is a very good friend to you."

"Could you please tell me what year it is?"

"Well, it is 1864, Miss Caroline."

Caroline just shakes her head. Of course, it is. Of course something like that would happen to her. Of course she would be freaking alone to deal with it!

She lets Dolores lead her downstairs, and she takes in the beauty of the Salvatore house. She feels like she is starring in a movie and she expects someone to yell "And cut!" at any moment. Although she has been surprisingly calm about this whole thing, she is fully aware of the craziness of it. Things get only worse when a man she assumes to be Giuseppe Salvatore greets her at the bottom of the stairs, dismissing Dolores with a sign of the head. He looks a lot like both of his sons and his voice is warm when he addresses her.

"Good morning, dear child. I hope you are feeling better?"

"Er – yes, yes I am. Good morning, M. Salvatore."

"How many times will I have to tell you?"

"I am sorry. Giuseppe," she says breathlessly, praying that she has taken the good guess.

Indeed, as he offers his arms to her, his lips barely twitch, but his eyes smile at her and she wonders how someone so kind can be the hideous person his sons have described back in 2011 – or it is forward in 2011? They enter a spacious room, designed exclusively for meals, from what she can see. The table can welcome at least a dozen people, but it's only Damon and Stefan grinning at her. Caroline herself can't repress a giggle at how young and innocent the brothers look. Stefan rushes to her side and kisses her hand with an unhidden affection. As for Damon, he is standing there like a child, waiting for his father's permission to speak. Giuseppe holds out his free hand to Damon and puts Caroline's hand in his son's. The vision of her hand, lying on Damon's, strikes Caroline.

"Damon, I want you to meet Miss Caroline Jones," Giuseppe Salvatore says. "She will be staying with us until her parents come back from Europe. I trust you to make her feel at home."

"It is an honor to meet you at last, Miss Jones," Damon says and he brings Caroline's hand to his lips.

Caroline stares at him, completely awe-struck. His lips are _warm_. Somehow, she manages to regain composure. She curtseys the best she can – a little clumsily. She will definitely need to get better at this if she must not attract attention. As for Damon, there is something different about him. Not only does he look a lot healthier, he also seems a lot livelier. His hair is longer and falls in messy curls on his forehead. When he takes in a breath, it seems like he really needs it and as much as Caroline would love to pretend like she doesn't hear it, he has a pulse. A freaking pulse. His undead heart is _beating. _Damon is human.

"Oh. My. God," Caroline says and she suddenly feels the need to sit down.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thank you for your great response to the Prologue, I'm very excited to start another fiction and share it with you guys! So, what are your thoughts on this first chapter? Please excuse any typo that I might not have seen and corrected.<em>**

**_Review, review and review !_**

**_- M. -_**


	3. Honest Questions

_Day Three - Honest questions_

Damon's beating heart is the most deafening sound Caroline has ever, ever heard. And since she's a vampire who can hear anything within a mile, that is saying something. She simply cannot believe that this is actually happening. Her, in 1864. Sent to serve as a guardian angel or whatever. To a human Damon. Absurd.

She feels like one of the Charmed Ones. Seriously, her life looks like a freaking TV show and she is just now noticing. Ever since she was turned into a vampire, she has been accepting crazy things without questioning them. Like, she doesn't need food anymore; she needs to drink _blood _to survive_. _Not only does she need it, she likes it. How gross is that, uh? One day she is a happy girlie in a fantastic relationship, the next, she is a single vampire. And Tyler turns into an actual wolf on every full moon. Well, she now expects a fairy to pop up at any moment and tell her that Santa sends his best.

_How in the world am I going to get through this?_ Caroline has been asking herself the question every minute of every day since she got here. How in the world?

Her mind relentlessly replays her last moments in "her" Mystic Falls. She remembers Elena's tears, Stefan's nervousness and her own guilt. She remembers vividly Damon's wounded arm, slowing turning to black and purple; the dark veins protruding from it and the smell of burnt flesh. That only adds to the pressure. There are so many things that she doesn't know! Like, when are her "parents" supposed to come back from Europe? As in, how much time does she have to fix things? Most importantly, _how _does she fix things?

Whenever she gets caught in this incessant reflection, she does the same thing: she tries to recall precisely everything that Bonnie said. "Find Damon and look for the signs." Well, at least, that's half a success. "Just play along." That's what she has been doing for three days and it is no easy task. She doesn't like to play along, and this is nothing like a game. _"I am trusting you with his life, here, Caroline."_ Stefan's words are probably the best way to make herself even more worried.

She wishes she had not stepped up to be the hero because she is absolutely positive that Stefan would know what to do. He always knows what to do and Caroline is becoming painfully aware of how dependent she has become on the youngest Salvatore. He is the closest thing she has to an older brother and even though the Stefan Salvatore she has been avoiding for three days is not the one she needs, she feels the sudden urge to have a conversation with him.

But she doesn't have time to sink further into panic and self-pity because Dolores is knocking on her door. This has become some sort of routine. Every morning, the young girl shows up and helps her with the stupid corset. Then she has breakfast with the Salvatores. This is always a very funny moment because it is obvious that they haven't had feminine company in a while – they are always fighting to get her attention, father and sons, which makes her feel like a princess.

"M. Stefan would like to know if you would fancy his company."

"Certainly. Tell M. Stefan I'll be downstairs in a minute," Caroline says with a satisfied smile.

The girl complies and returns soon enough to help Caroline with her hair and makeup. Because yes, even if she is simply going in the living room to have a very plain conversation with Stefan, she must be dressed in a certain way: underwear, corset, elegant dress and all. If this were not a life and death situation, Caroline thinks she might actually enjoy being here, at this time period. Only the dresses would be enough to make all of her friends green with envy. She remembers how jealous she was that Elena had found such a beautiful gown to wear on Founders' Day and now she has a closet full of those. Not only that, but she has Dolores to help her with everything, and both the Salvatore brothers to keep her entertained. Really, if this weren't about saving Damon, she could get used to that.

"Dolores, I need your help," Caroline says hesitantly once she is ready to meet Stefan.

"Of course, Miss Caroline. What is it?"

"I- er, I feel like my curtsey needs improving."

The young girl lets out a small giggle and nods.

"I'll show you."

Caroline smiles gratefully even though she hasn't felt so embarrassed in a long while. Dolores comes to stand on her right and slightly lifts her skirts up to her ankles. Then, she puts her right foot behind the left, only allowing her right tiptoe to touch her left heel. Caroline observes carefully as Dolores slightly bends her knees – she looks so graceful. It is very fortunate that Caroline has spent many hours practicing for cheerleading; she is a fast learner and so she immediately mimics Dolores' curtsey to perfection. The young girl nods approvingly and leads her downstairs, where Stefan has been expecting her. As usual, Dolores vanishes as soon as Stefan offers his hand to Caroline. _Right foot behind the left, just the tiptoe and bend the knees just a little, not too much – I can do this. _The blonde vampire carefully reproduces what Dolores has just shown her and bites her lip nervously, looking for approval in Stefan's eyes.

"Was that correct? I am afraid I don't do this very often at home."

"Absolutely perfect, Miss Caroline."

She heaves a sigh of relief – this might be small, but it is still a victory. She is getting better at playing along. For a long while, she stands there, staring at Stefan. She is trying to catch glimpses of the Stefan she knows but the only thing they have in common are those hypnotic green eyes. Even their smiles are not the same – when the Stefan she knows smiles, there is still something wary and sad in his eyes. This one looks just a little more careless and it's actually nice. When he clears his throat, Caroline realizes that she has been staring.

"I'm sorry. It's just that you – you remind me of someone."

"A beau, I am sure."

"Ew, gross!" she exclaims. "More like, my brother," she adds when she sees his flabbergasted face.

"Is he in Europe with your parents?"

She'd like to tell him that she didn't mean her actual brother, since she's a single child, but she likes the idea of Stefan being her older brother.

"Yes," she lies and she feels like he can see right through her, like Stefan usually does.

"You must miss him a lot," he asks politely as he offers her his arm and leads the way outside.

"I do. I always rely on his so much. I am not sure I can be fine on my own, here."

Stefan stops and takes both of Caroline's hands into his. She is still startled by the warmth of his skin, in shocking contrast with the coldness of her own – she is grateful that in the future, he will instruct her to drink as much coffee as she can to create an illusion of heat.

"You are not on your own. If you ever feel the need to talk, please come to me. Anytime. I am a good listener," he says.

"I don't want to bother you."

"You can never bother me, Miss Caroline."

Caroline smiles. Okay, so maybe he is a lot like "her" Stefan after all. With a thankful nod, she takes his arm again and together, they walk. She is supposed to have done this before, but Stefan tells her again every little story about the estate. She feels sorry to know that it will be burnt to the ground and they will have to move to the boarding house afterwards. This place is so magnificent; it is such a waste.

This walk with Stefan is the first moment in days – in weeks – when Caroline feels free to stop thinking and just enjoy the moment. She doesn't know how much of this she will be able to enjoy so she lives every second fully – being able to see who he was before he was turned makes her feel closer to Stefan. After only one hour with him, she understands him better. He didn't lie when he said he cared deeply about the people. As soon as she had mentioned that brother of hers, he wanted to know her so he could do everything in his power to make her feel at home, welcome.

She lied about everything she told him though; it would have been too hard to tell him about her friends who were living in a different space-time continuum. He would probably believe she had hysteria or something – the last thing she needs is to draw attention to her.

"Stefan, do you believe in fate?"

"Well, I do believe some things are meant to happen."

"Are there signs, then?"

"Not signs _per se_. I think we must learn to look at things the right way if we want to follow the path that has been drawn for us."

They are standing at a crossroads and Stefan gestures emphatically to the way on the right. Caroline follows the path with her eyes – it leads straight to the porch of the House, and Damon is standing there. He seems to be expecting them; he also seems to be losing patience. When they join him, the brothers exchange smiles and Stefan spontaneously puts Caroline's hand on Damon, like he is leaving her in his care. Once again, the image strikes her.

"I had a delightful moment with you, Miss Caroline."

"Me too, Stefan. I mean, M. Salvatore," she says and she automatically curtseys.

"You are getting better at this," he says and bows back. "Remember what I told you? Anytime."

"I will. Thank you."

He pats on his brother's shoulder and leaves the two of them alone. Caroline suddenly feels like her feet are the most captivating thing in the world and strangely enough, Damon doesn't rush her into talking. Being in his presence is just a little confusing for her. The more she thinks about it, the more it sinks in that she has no idea who the man in front of her is. She knows the Damon Salvatore he will become – this manipulative, impulsive, almost maniacal vampire. And he is nothing like the polite soldier standing in front of her; it scares her. She doesn't know how to act around him although she knows she'd better figure that out very quickly.

After a few minutes however, he smiles at her.

"Would you like some rest, Miss Caroline? You look exhausted from your walk."

"I would love that, yes. Maybe I have being overdoing it a little," Caroline lies.

"My brother should be more considerate. I will ask him to pay more attention next time."

Dolores magically appears on the porch with two glasses of lemonade and two slices of cake. Caroline accepts them with pleasure. After they share this collation in an awkward silence, Damon asks Dolores to lead Caroline to her room.

"I will talk to you soon, Ms. Jones."

"Of course. Now if you will excuse me," she says.

Damon bows at her and she thinks she sees disappointment in his eyes. That scares her even more and she rushes upstairs. There is a more urgent matter she needs to attend to – she's been here for three days and she hasn't properly fed yet. She remembers what the townspeople did to vampires once they became aware of their existence and she cannot add another problem to a list that's already too long.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyone ! Not a very eventful chapter, but you can a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter, as to the relationships between Caroline and the brothers. Also, <strong>**there IS a clue regarding Caroline's mission - have you found it ? Also, do you think Stefan and Caroline will be friends, like they are in Present Time? I want yo hear all about what you think ! **

**Reviews = love !**

**- M. - **


	4. Second First Impression

_Day Seven - Second First Impression_

The past week has been nothing but fake smiles and pretenses. She might have been good at this in another life, but Caroline is getting seriously tired of it. She has not heard from Bonnie yet and the signs she is supposed to find are nowhere to be found. The only thing she can think about is the image of her hand, given to Damon by his father and by his brother. Not to mention the fact that the path Stefan showed to her on the crossroads was the path on the right – _the right path_ – and it led to Damon. She has had dreams about it and she is wondering if that could possibly mean something. She remembers the conversation Stefan and Bonnie had, about not taking any chances. If she fails, she might not go back to her friends – she can't fail. And so, she does nothing.

Caroline has never felt angrier in her entire life. Being sent back to 1864, without any indication as to what she must do or how she must do it is definitely not the way she was hoping to spend the next days - weeks?- of her life. She is pissed at Bonnie, even though she had been warned that things could get tricky. She is pissed at Elena for requesting that Stefan stayed. She is pissed at Damon from being human again, because it means that she is completely alone in this. Their fate lies in her sole hands and she never had to handle so much pressure before.

"Miss Jones, may I come in?"

As usual at this time of the day, Caroline is in her bedroom, pretending to read one of the books she has borrowed from Stefan. She avoids being in the presence of the Salvatores as much as she can, which is no easy task at all. The three men are very fond of her, and annoyingly hard to resist.

"Yes, M. Salvatore, please do."

Caroline rolls her eyes at how polite and solemn she sounds – 1864 is definitely not fun when it comes to manners and it takes all of her willpower not to swear and scowl all day long. She must behave like a lady, and, so far, she has been successful in doing so. It's like permanent role-play and she has seen "Gone with the Wind" so many times that it really is no trouble for her.

Damon slowly pushes open the door but doesn't cross the threshold. Caroline smiles at his shyness; he is nothing like the inconsiderate and cocky Damon she is used to. He is so sweet and polite that she could reduce him to silence with a single glance. It is awkward, but quite enjoyable to be in control of the relationship, for a change.

"You can come in," she says and as he bows slightly to thank her; she curtseys.

"Father says you have been feeling a bit down, these days, Miss Jones. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

"Your brother should be here any minute now, we are taking a walk around the estate. It is always the highlight of my day."

"I hate to tell you this, but Stefan and Father have some business in town, I'm afraid."

Now, that is a bummer. Her daily walks with Stefan have also turned into her only opportunities to feed. She has convinced him to go a little further out of the estate and into the forest so when she pretends to play hide and seek with him (yeah, so maybe she started acting über childish and mentioned that she used to that with her "brother" and she missed it), she super speeds around to sink her teeth into a bunny. If Stefan is not here, it means that she doesn't have an excuse to go out – they will never let her venture outside on her own. She is upset but she has become a master at hiding her emotions.

"It's okay. I will stay here and read," she says with a smile.

"I could walk with you, if you like."

She is about to decline when the image of their hands crosses her mind once more, along with that of the path. Maybe it meant that she should take walks with him? And even if it didn't, if she is to be his guide, she might as well start spending time with him.

"I would love that, M. Salvatore."

"Please, call me Damon."

"Only if you consent to calling me Caroline."

"Very well, then," he says with a childish grin. "Let's take a walk, Caroline."

It is a warm day and Damon asks Dolores to make sure she gives Caroline a sunshade before they go; something the vampire would have forgotten very easily, since she is not subject to sunstroke. It sort of annoys her how everyone always wants to take care of her, like she is weak or something. She looks at them both and thinks: if only you knew.

She lets him guide the walk, although she has now become very familiar with the Salvatore Estate. Its trees, its bushes and its flowers – Stefan has told her all about them and she marvels at how erudite he sounds when discussing plants. Actually, Stefan sounds erudite, whatever the topic. He is a very curious young man and he likes to let his mind wander to various subjects, although philosophy and literature are his favorites. The talks they have make Caroline love him just a little more and she is sad that life, or rather, death, turned him into a different person. Now, she understands why he feels like being a vampire is a curse – she is starting to agree with him.

"You are very pensive," Damon says. "May I be bold enough to ask what it is you are thinking about?"

"My apologies," she says. "I was just…thinking, you know?"

He nods even though it's obvious that he doesn't have a clue what she is talking about. They spend more than two hours together. At first, the conversation is just a little bit shy and the moments of silence are numerous, but then, she starts asking him questions about the books he likes to read, the places in the world he would like to see. She finds out that Damon is nothing like his brother, except that both are genuinely kind-hearted.

"Father tells me you and Stefan spend a lot of time together," Damon says casually.

"You seem upset about it."

They have stopped their walking to pause under a huge tree; Damon thought she might be tired from walking for thirty minutes in a row. He has taken care of everything: the basket with fresh food and lemonade, the mat. He is constantly making sure that she isn't too warm and asking if she'd like to get going. Caroline doesn't think she can get used to human Damon – way too charming.

"Upset is not the word. I wish you would want to spend time with me as well."

Caroline almost chokes on her lemonade. The way he says that – so truthfully, almost vulnerably. Like he is really hurt that she gives more attention to his brother. She looks up and finds him staring at her in the most embarrassing way; it takes her back to the days when she was crushing on him. Thank God for an undead body, she can't blush.

"It was never my intention to offend you, Damon. I like the time we are spending together, now."

He genuinely smiles at her and the conversation resumes. He asks about her life in California – which is where she comes from, apparently. He asks about her parents and her friends back home. It's the first time anyone has asked her that since she got here and she wishes she could tell him everything that's been on her mind, but she simply doesn't feel it. Damon has never been very interested in her Matt drama or in anything related to her life, actually; but then again, the man sitting with her is not the same Damon she knows, so, why not?

"My life back home is slightly complicated at the moment," she admits, emotion perceivable in her voice.

"Do you wish to tell me about it?"

"Everything seems to go wrong. I wouldn't know where to start."

"From the beginning?"

Caroline laughs and the first thing that comes to her mind is how her relationship with her mother is nothing but a mess right now. Yes, they have made peace, somehow – but how will it be, at breakfast, when she needs to have a cup of blood and her mother has coffee?

"I am not what my mother expected me to be. Actually, I've become what she hates the most in this world."

"Nonsense. You are a delightful young woman."

"How would you know? I've been here only two weeks."

"My father likes you. Trust me, that is saying something," Damon says bitterly.

Caroline remembers all the talks she has had with Elena about the Salvatore brothers and their father. No doubt Damon would understand what being a bitter disappointment to a parent feels like. This simple and insignificant common point makes her feel like she is not completely out of place anymore. For the first time since she got here, she doesn't feel like a fraud – when she talks to Damon about her mother, when he confesses things about his father, she feels like it is real.

But soon enough, they are back in front of the house and she is almost disappointed that Stefan will be taking her to walk tomorrow.

"It was very nice of you to keep me company, Damon," she says with a smile.

"My pleasure."

Caroline throws her arms around Damon in a way to say thank you, just like she would do with any of her friends, but he doesn't return her embrace. Caroline frowns – that is _so_ not like him. She takes a step back and fakes embarrassment when she sees that he is blushing. Another thing she will never get used to – Damon Salvatore, blushing. Because she hugged him. Seriously. Yeah, maybe she forgot for a minute that this was 1864 and that it was extremely inappropriate for a young woman to be this close to a person of the male gender.

"Please forgive my enthusiasm. I just meant to let you know that I had a lovely time."

"Same for me," Damon says, still a little confused.

"But, if we're going to be friends, Damon, you might as well get used to it: I am inappropriate. I always say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing, you must have noticed."

"You are not like the other girls. I like that about you, Caroline," he just says before he walks away.

Caroline wants to stand there with just a smile on her face as she waits for Dolores to join her, but she calls after Damon.

"Maybe you can walk with me tomorrow as well?" she asks shyly.

"What about Stefan?"

"I am sure he won't mind."

* * *

><p><strong>Hello, there! <strong>**Thank you everyone for the many reviews, I hope we can outdo ourselves and set a new record from Save the Hero (if you haven't read it : GO!). I'm glad you liked the Steroline moment, I'm not spoiling anything if I say that those two will be very close, in many different ways. **

**You all Daroline lovers: impressions on their first actual interaction? ****Fire away: review !**** With your review, please tell me in which country you live? I'm just curious. **

**- M. - **


	5. On the Other Side

_Day Twelve [Present Time] - On the Other Side_

Twelve short days have completely turned the tables around in Mystic Falls. Seeing Alaric, Elena, Bonnie, Jeremy and Stefan today, people wouldn't believe that human and supernatural bonds united them just a few days before. They simply co-exist now, like total strangers. Their interactions are kept to the vital minimum. Something is broken. Something that even the return of Caroline and Damon wouldn't fix. The person who is the most affected by this situation is without a doubt Stefan Salvatore. The green-eyed vampire is slowly turning into a different person.

To begin with, his relationship with Elena is shattered. Resentment is lingering between the two of them and although it is left unsaid, it's out there for everyone to see. He blames her for asking him to stay, because it's easier than to blame himself for listening to her. He blames her for finishing what Katherine had begun: breaking his bond with his brother. Damon is gone, and it makes Stefan realize that there can be other girls, but that his brother was irreplaceable.

Stefan sees Elena under a whole new light, now. When he looks at her, he no longer sees her beautiful brown eyes or her sweet smile. He only sees the girl who came between him and his brother. So what if Elena is brokenhearted over the loss of Damon? She should be the one consoling him, she still has _her_ brother. She still has everyone looking out for her and overprotecting her.

She is too focused on her own pain to care for his. She is too busy putting up a good face to see that he, too, has lost his entire family now. And Stefan can't do this anymore – he can't stand here and watch her pretend to be strong, because she is not. He begins to wonder if she doesn't do that just so people will tell her that she is allowed to be sad. Stefan also notices that his girlfriend seldom mentions Caroline, which only adds to his annoyance.

As for Bonnie, Stefan is quasi stalking her on a daily basis. She is the only one who can put an end to his ordeal – she is the only one who can tell him where his brother is, if he is healthy, if he is coming back. So when his I-phone starts buzzing and Bonnie's name appears on the tactile screen, Stefan must be very careful to grab it gently enough not to break it.

"What is it, Bonnie?" he says; he doesn't have time for polite phrases.

"Emily got in touch with me."

"What did she say? Where are they?"

"Can you meet me at Elena's?"

That's the last place on Earth he wants to be, but if he has to. It takes him ten minutes to drive to Elena's place. Everybody is here, and he notices that Sheriff Forbes and Tyler Lockwood have joined the group. They are standing close to the doorframe, like they don't completely feel like they have a right to be here. Jeremy and Bonnie are holding hands on the couch and Elena is bringing drinks for everyone. As for Alaric, he is sipping a glass of bourbon. It's the second time they meet in twelve days and it still hurts. Seeing them all reminds Stefan of the last time he saw his brother.

"So Bonnie, what did Emily tell you?" he asks bluntly.

Elena glares at him. He can tell that she is upset that he hasn't addressed her but he pushes the thought away. He refuses to let her do this to him again – he wants to be self-centered and he has every right to be. From what he sees, she's the one with the friends and the brother and he is the lonely boy. She'll be fine, she'll grow old, she'll get over it. He has a whole freaking eternity ahead of him to deal. She just makes him angry.

So he focuses on Bonnie – the young witch looks paler than usual. He can tell that she has not been sleeping much and the dormant side of him that cares feels sorry for her. The poor girl might be capable of harnessing the power of a hundred dead witches, it doesn't make her less of a teenager and teenagers should not have to deal with situations like this. Stefan smiles at Bonnie and asks the question again, more softly.

"You have to understand, Stefan, I had no control over the destination of their travel."

"I understand. I don't blame you for anything. Tell me, where are they?"

"They were sent back to 1864."

"It doesn't make any sense," he says, pacing around the room. "Why would your ancestors send them back to 1864? Did Emily tell you what they have to do, there?"

Elena is chewing on her lower lip and suddenly it occurs to him that it's not like his girlfriend to stay out of a conversation like that, especially when it involves Damon. There is only one explanation to that: she knows. They all _know_. For a split second, he feels like an animal in a zoo: they are looking at him, trying to guess what his reaction to the news will be. He strides away from them, to the closest wall and leans against it. He closes his eyes and holds on to the image of Damon that has been recurrently popping in his head since the dreadful day. Funny enough, it's a memory from 1864, when he and Damon were still human.

"What do they have to do?" he whispers.

"Caroline's mission is to prevent Damon from falling in love with Katherine."

His eyes pop open and he almost wants to laugh.

"That's no big d-" Stefan starts and then it hits him.

He doesn't push Elena away when she slides her arms around his waist. Her hold on him is the only thing that keeps him from snapping at this very moment.

"No," he whispers with his eyes still closed. "No, Bonnie, no!"

"I'm sorry, Stefan."

The vampire remains motionless for a long while. He can smell the fear of the humans around him and he is scared himself of what he might do. If Caroline stands in the way of Damon and Katherine's relationship, it clearly means that his brother will know nothing of vampires. Which means that his brother will not become a vampire. Which means that he will die after an ordinary human life. Which means that Stefan will never get to see Damon again. Every cell of his undead body is fighting this realization. He feels his body buzzing, burning, and shaking. It's like he can't exist in a world where Damon is nothing but a name on a grave.

A sudden burst of hope makes him break free from Elena's hold.

"What about Caroline? Does she know yet?"

"Emily says the first signs have been sent her way but she doesn't understand them."

"Then bring her back! I'll go instead. I can do it – she doesn't have to be involved in this. Sheriff Forbes needs to be with her family and I need to be with mine. If he's not coming back, then you won't have to bring me back either." Stefan urges.

His request comes as a surprise. Sherriff Forbes almost hopes that Bonnie agrees, so that she can get her daughter back. Even if her relationship with Caroline is not perfect, she's still her baby and she doesn't care who has to die to bring her baby back. Tyler Lockwood agrees – Stefan and his brother have brought nothing but trouble in Mystic Falls, in his life, in Caroline's. Things can only get better if they're gone. And then, he genuinely believes that Stefan should be given the chance to be reunited with his brother.

"Guys, can you give us a minute?" Elena asks and they all stride out of the room to the kitchen.

Stefan rolls his eyes at how easily they comply. The girl sounds like a freaking lieutenant or something. He wonders if he has already let her boss him around like that – he probably has. He looks at her and realizes that he has not been alone with her since Damon and Caroline left. He is not comfortable with this – she is obviously going to try to talk him out of leaving and he knows that a part of him will want to listen. A part of him is still willing to do anything for her but he refuses to make her a priority over Damon once again. She will be fine, she will grow old, she will get over it.

"You can't just leave, Stefan!"

"I don't have time for this," he just says, keeping his voice smooth and masking his annoyance.

"You can't leave," she repeats. "You can't just sacrifice everything like that."

Stefan lets out a dark chuckle.

"You're one to talk, Elena. Didn't you just die to save your friends?"

"I came back."

"Because you had reasons to."

"Well, yeah. I couldn't leave Jeremy without a family."

"Like I said, you had reasons to."

"Oh, and you don't?" she says in a strangled voice.

"I can't leave my brother without a family, either. Surely you can understand," he just says.

"No, no, no, Stefan. Answer the question. You don't have any reason to come back?"

Now she is yelling at him and Stefan can hear the others in the kitchen making comments on how he should take it easy on her because she's having such a hard time. He stays silent long enough to bury the urge to grab her by the shoulders and yell right back at her.

"I've lost almost every person I've ever loved, Stefan. And I don't think I can handle losing you."

"You'll be fine, Elena. You're strong," he says, internally rolling his eyes. "If Bonnie can send me, I'm going."

"Damon wouldn't want that, you know," she snaps at him, trying a different approach. "Damon would want you to stay here."

"DON'T TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE HE'S DEAD," he vociferates.

Elena closes her eyes as the walls around her tremble. She is on the verge of tears and something stirs inside of Stefan – it's not fair to hurt her just because he's hurting. For a few minutes, all Stefan can hear are the worried whispers from the kitchen.

"I'm sorry," he whispers and when he holds out to her, she takes a step back.

"You can't go. We all need you here," she begs.

"Please. _You_ need me here. Everyone would just be better off without a vampire around and you know it."

"Fine! I need you here. I love you, Stefan. And I know you love me back. So why are you acting like this?"

"Because it's _Damon_, Elena. Are you seriously asking me to choose you over my brother?"

Before she can answer that, Bonnie is walking into the room again. Her brows are furrowed together in a determined line and Stefan knows that he won't have to pick Elena or Damon; Bonnie has made the decision for him. She slowly shakes her head in denial and he can tell that she would like to help him but it's not her choice either.

"I'd do anything they want me to, Bonnie. Please, let me go. Please," he says.

"I could get you in touch with them, if you want. But Damon is back to his human self, so he won't be able to see or hear you."

"What about Caroline? You should let her mother talk to her."

"Sherriff Forbes isn't a supernatural. It's not going to work."

Stefan just nods and waits for Bonnie to get everything ready. He is looking elsewhere, throwing glances at Elena. He wonders if he would have had the guts to tell her that he would never pick her over Damon again. If he would have had the guts to break her heart like that, to push her over the edge. Just a minute ago, he wouldn't have hesitated, but now all he wants to do is pull her in for a hug and tell her how sorry he is. For yelling at her, for being willing to give up on her, for not loving her more.

"I am ready," Bonnie says, bringing him back to reality. "I'm sending you into one of Caroline's dreams. It's not going to last long and you can't tell her anything about her mission. Not a word, Stefan, or there will be severe consequences for you. I wouldn't mess with them," she warns, referring to her magical ancestors.

"Okay. Is there anything you want me to tell her?" Stefan softly asks to the blonde woman standing in the back; she looks horrified.

"Just tell her to be careful. And tell her that I'm sorry for treating her like I did. Tell her that I love her."

"I will."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hi everyone ! Thank you for all the reviews on last chapter, I loved hearing where you are from. Readers from all over the world, that's amazing. <em>**

**_I was sure y'all would be thrilled about Damon and Caroline bonding, but let's be clear about something : I have already written more chapters than you have read and so I can't/won't change the storyline just because some of you don't like where it's going. Sorry. Katherine WILL appear later on and yes, Caroline WILL be close to both brothers, but you have to give me a chance to do this my way._**

**_So, some of you have wondered if Caroline would be in touch with Bonnie, but surprise, it will be Stefan in next chapter! Thoughts of the youngest Salvatore's reaction and his fight with Elena?_**

**_- M. - _**


	6. I'll See You in my Dreams

_Day Twelve [1864] -_ _I'll See You in my Dreams_

Caroline is cranky today, definitely. It might be the end of March, the day has been incredibly hot and she is seriously getting tired of wearing so many layers of clothing. The only escape she has found is in her bedroom even though she is worried that she might fall asleep. Stefan should be here any minute for their walk and she promised Damon she would have a little chat with him before she left. The last thing she wants is to upset him, but she can't seem to get up.

"Hey, Caroline," a familiar voice says.

She jumps a little at the sound of Stefan's voice. When did he get here? She didn't hear him come in, maybe she was drowsing. She instinctively pulls the sheets up to her chin – she doesn't remember getting ready for their walk and if she's taking a nap, she must not be decent for his eyes to see. And then she takes him in, all leather jacket and denim jeans, brooding forehead and sympathetic eyes. Not quite the Stefan she was expecting to see, but she can be fine with that one as well.

"It's me, Caroline. Stefan. From, the future, I guess."

"Stefan? My Stefan?"

"I didn't know you were so possessive over me," he smiles and he opens his arms to her. "But I guess you can say that."

"Am I dreaming?" she asks automatically, because she doesn't want to get carried away.

"Yes. Doesn't mean that it's not real. Bonnie did a spell."

She hesitates for two more seconds before she pounces onto him, wrapping her tiny arms around him the best she can. He's right, it's real. Everything about him is real, from the smell of his cologne to the soothing touch of his hands in her hair. He feels like home and that alone makes her want to never let go of him. She buries her face into his chest and breathes him in, and he doesn't push her away. The last physical contact he had was with Damon and it brings him back to the world of the living to feel another body against his.

"How long are you staying?" is the first thing she says and he wouldn't hear her if not for his vampire hearing because her voice is muffled against his shirt.

"We're in a dream, so, until you wake up, I guess."

"Good. I don't remember falling asleep so that must mean I'm really tired. Although I don't know how I possibly got tired because these 1864 people don't exactly qualify as party people."

Stefan shakes his head – that can only mean that she has not grown close enough to Damon yet. Once she does, surely she won't have the same opinion on 1864. Stefan remembers the parties his brother would sneak him into, the stupid kissing games he would organize and the numerous nights they would spend at the Mystic Falls Tavern. Definitely enough to get tired. However, he decides to keep it to himself.

"Your mother asked me to tell you that she loves you and she's sorry. And to be careful, as well."

"How sweet of her. Please send her my best."

"You speak like a real lady, Miss Forbes," he mocks her.

"Shut up," she snaps playfully at him and it feels absolutely _delicious_ to be able to say that. "And it's Miss Jones. I guess having another Forbes in town would have raised questions from my ancestors, you know."

"Caroline?"

"Yes?"

"You can let go, now," he says a little teasingly.

"Oops," she laughs a little as she steps back. "Damon freaked out on me when I hugged him the other day so I kinda keep the physical contacts to a minimum and that is so not like me."

At the mention of Damon's name, Stefan's amused expression changes into a concerned one. She almost wants to tease him about how protective he is to his big brother but then she remembers that they're talking about Damon's life here and so she just smiles reassuringly.

"Are you going to visit one of his dreams, too?"

"Wouldn't work, he's human."

"Yeah, well, that's just nothing short of inconvenient. It leaves me alone with just me to figure this thing out. Please tell me Bonnie sent you to help."

"I wouldn't say that," he says cautiously, trying to decide whether it is worth it to challenge the witches or not.

"Seriously, Stefan. If you know something, tell me!"

Stefan decides to ignore the question when he realizes in which part of the house they are. He is only too familiar with this room; it was Katherine's. Memories from the steamy nights he spent in this very bed flow into his mind and he clears his throat as he tears his eyes away from the silk sheets.

The vampire smiles internally; even after a magical ritual aiming at changing the past, history maintains its natural tendency to repeat itself. Katherine might not be here yet, but there is still a female vampire in the house, who clearly has a secret agenda. Stefan suddenly feels the urge to tell Caroline everything he knows about her mission.

The more he thinks about it, the more this looks mental to him. He is not sure Caroline is the type of girl who can fake feelings. From what he understands, she is currently experiencing an area of turbulence in her relationship with Matt and she is getting closer to Tyler with every day, as proves his presence at Elena's house. She might have promised she'd save Damon, he really can't see her faking. After everything Damon has done to that girl, how could she be expected to seduce him? Of course, the witches have not mentioned how Caroline is supposed to prevent Damon from falling in love with Katherine, but Stefan knows his brother: only a woman can distract him from another woman. It will be seduction or failure.

"You're staring," Caroline says after a few minutes. "What is it?"

"Just wondering how good a distraction you can be," he mumbles without thinking about it.

"A distraction from what?"

"I can't tell," Stefan says through gritted teeth – he feels a throbbing pain menacing to extend to his whole body. Probably a warning. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"So you know what they sent me here for," she states. "But you can't tell me anything."

"I'm sorry," he repeats. "All I can tell you is that some signs have been sent your way. You need to look at things the right way, Caroline."

"You and your human self certainly share that annoying habit of speaking in riddles."

Stefan laughs. Heartedly. It's the first time in weeks that he laughs and it feels awkward because he didn't think he still knew how. Of course, Caroline would be the one to give him his smile back. There is something about this girl, something warm and comforting. Everything about her is adorable, from the way she gets angry to her childish laugh.

"I figured you could use a friend, but if you want to be mad at me, I can just go."

"I don't want you to go," she whines and he smiles at her childish behavior.

"I don't want to go," he whispers.

And so they sit, he on a chair and she on her bed. Caroline really appreciates that time in dreams and time in real life are two very different things because now that Stefan is here, she wonders how she made it for twelve days without anyone to talk to. Before she got there, she never realized what it was like to live a secret life. Even when she was turned into a vampire, she still had Elena, Bonnie, Stefan and Damon to talk to. But now it's just her and she thinks she might actually go crazy if this lasts for too long. When she mentions that, Stefan just shrugs off the unasked question.

"There's something I don't understand. I've been here for a few days now and Human Stefan and I have been spending a lot of time together – how come you don't know that? I mean, since it's technically your past, your memories should have changed or something."

"I don't know why I don't remember anything. Does it really matter?"

"Yes, it does," she says just a little too fiercely.

"Why? Did something happen?" he says, suddenly alarmed.

"No, it's just that we're getting closer, and it sucks that you don't know that."

Stefan smiles once again and he makes a mental note to spend more time with her when she comes back to present time. It's like she has a remote to his smile or something. He remembers what he used to be like in 1864 and it really is no wonder that he would enjoy Caroline's company. He could have used a friend to keep him out of his books; someone to mess around with the codes of his much disciplined life. Someone with good intentions, unlike Katherine. Someone funny, kindhearted and confident, just like Caroline.

The green-eyed vampire leaves his chair to join her on the bed, and the intimacy of this doesn't even stop him. Caroline's presence is so overwhelming that it erases any thought of his encounters with Katherine. Yes, he would have needed Caroline back in 1864, but isn't it 1864, here and now? He just wants to indulge for a while and not think of the consequences. He wants to forget that he will have to go back. Surely Caroline can be fine with that. She shifts her weight on the bed so as to be lying face to face with him. She wonders what has gotten into him but she doesn't really care. Stefan's green eyes stare at her intently at her, like it's the first time he has seen her, and it's like she can feel her skin itching wherever his eyes land: on her lips, on her neck, on her cheek. So yes, she does that annoying thing when she doesn't stop talking.

There are a million things she wants to ask him, like, how can she get on Damon's good side? He obviously likes to spend time with her but he is still acting very cautiously around her. Is there anything she can do to make Damon and Giuseppe get along better? She hates to see the blue-eyed solider clenching his jaw every time their father reprimands him about something. Oh and about Human Stefan, what does he like to do except for walking around the estate and reading? It's not that she doesn't enjoy having him read Shakespeare to her on the porch, but she wants to find something they would both love.

"Why would you want to spend time with me when you have Damon?"

"What do you mean?" she says, frowning.

"I know you, Caroline and I know who I was in 1864. Not the kind of guy you'd spend any time with."

He can see a shadow in her eyes and he knows that he has offended her, which was the last thing he wanted to do. He tentatively reaches to her and let his long fingers brush against her cheek. Caroline watches as his Adam's apple travels up and down slowly and she leans into the touch even though she is indeed slightly upset with the opinion he has of her. Then again, he is not entirely wrong – a few weeks before the sacrifice, she would never have given attention to a guy like Human Stefan. Guys like him were too serious, too uptight and way too responsible to have fun; and fun was the only thing she was looking for. When she thinks about the girl she used to be, she is a bit ashamed. She closes her eyes for a second and focuses on Stefan's light touch against her skin.

"Maybe I've changed," she whispers.

"I know you have," he whispers back, and his deep voice resonates inside of her body.

He is drawing circles on her skin, following the path with his eyes. This moment is intense and they feel like words would ruin it – silence settles in, enveloping them both and creating a bubble that's out of everything. Out of 1864, out of 2011, out of the sacrifice and the werewolf bite. It's just Stefan Salvatore and Caroline Forbes/Jones, legs against legs, chests rising in sync, eye in eye, fingers against skin.

"What's happening?" Caroline says suddenly, her voice clearly alarmed.

"You're waking up," Stefan explains and he doesn't hide the disappointment in his voice. "I feel it, too. But it's okay," he says when he sees her eyes get all watery.

Caroline simply nods. She is very damsel-in-distress like as Stefan closes the distance between their bodies to drop a kiss on her forehead. His hands tangle in her hair and she wants to cry when she thinks that he will be gone in just a few seconds.

"Stay away from the quarrels of Damon and Father," he advices. "Ask my brother take you horse-riding, or to the Old Wickery Bridge. He also loves to play cards."

"Stefan, what about the signs and my mission? What do I do about that?"

"Just come 10 when he comes 90," he says.

"What does that even mean?" she snaps at him. "We don't have much time, please!"

"Another riddle for you to figure out, I guess."

Stefan is quite happy with himself – he has found a way to tell her something crucial about her mission. Something that only a girl from 2011 could understand, as opposed to a hundred dead witches. If – when- Caroline figures this out, she will know what she has to do.

"Will you come back?" she says as she feels more and more far away from him.

The last thing she sees is his smile; her eyes slowly open to her empty bedroom.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hey everyone ! What did you think of this encounter between our favorite blonde vampire and her mentor? Do you want more of those moments in her dreams ?Oh, who understands exactly what Stefan's final riddle means? Do you think Caroline will figure it out soon? T<strong>__**ell me everything !**_

_**- M. - **_


	7. Twenty First Century Girl

_Day Seventeen_ - _Twenty-First Century Girl_

Playing a role 24/7 is funny for a few days, annoying for a week, and exhausting after two. Caroline has successfully learnt how to be a real 1864 lady, mostly thanks to Dolores, but she is getting really tired of pretending. She had not realized how much she missed her life until she saw Stefan. Before his visit, she was so busy trying to fit in that she didn't have time to wonder about her friends, about her mother. It was like she was living in a world of her own, where the only thing she had to worry about was learning how to behave herself. But everything she has been thinking about for five days is how she wants to go back.

She wants to sit down into her car and breathe in the luxurious smell of the leather seats instead of riding carriages. She wants to turn on the television and watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians instead of reading and reading some more. She wants to put on her D&G strapless dress instead of all those stupid layers of crinoline and muslin; she wants to show skin, because her legs are way too pretty not to be shown. And most of all, she wants to lie down on her bed, turn her IPod on and listen to the saddest songs in the world until she cries herself to sleep. Surely, when she gets back, she will cherish all these little things that she used to take for granted. In the meantime, she is feeling utterly alone and irresistibly depressed. She has considered finding the switch Damon and Stefan have told her about – turning off her emotions might make everything easier. She would be able to look for the signs, do the deed and get it over with.

She has been thinking about Stefan's clue and she hasn't figured it out yet. Seriously, couldn't he have been just a little less mysterious? "Just come 10 when he comes 90." What the hell? She thought about it nonstop for three days and she came up blank. She has heard the phrase before, but she can't quite place it. However, she is determined to get to the bottom of this – seeing Stefan has made her even more eager to save Damon, just to wipe the sad-concerned-hurt expression off his face. They didn't have time to talk about how things are at home, but the way he acted with her? They might be good friends, he would only do that if things between him and Elena were not going great. He doesn't have to say it, she just knows. He is miserable. Obviously – his brother is gone and his girlfriend, well, that's a different story. Caroline knows that everyone will take good care of Elena, and she hates the thought of Stefan alone with his sorrow.

The difference seventeen days can make is clearly underestimated. This experience will, without a doubt, be life-changing, so she keeps a journal, now. She wants to remember everything she sees, everything she does. The walks she takes with Stefan, the playful conversations she has with Damon. She knows that she won't be able to stay, so she really doesn't want to get involved. But how can she not, when everyone here is so good to her?

She can't remember the last time she met people as warm and welcoming as the Salvatores. Maybe it was in fashion at the time, but eh, she is _not_ from 1864 and so she has just a little trouble understanding that complete strangers would take such good care of her. Her "bedchamber" is the most amazing place – and that's from a girl who knows nothing but five star hotels when she's on holidays – and she has a maid and all she is asked to do is be happy. It also feels amazing to be someone else, forget about the trouble for a while. She likes that no one judges her: she likes that being a giggly blonde doesn't make her stupid or shallow in the eyes of these men and she likes that whenever she is frowning, they would do anything to make her smile. If she is being honest, she is starting to like it here. Actually, if she is being completely honest, not only does she like it _here_, she likes _them. _Stefan _and _Damon. It worries the living Hell out of her.

Given the circumstances, Caroline is doing the best she can to be alone. Conveniently enough, she doesn't actually need food in her system so she has been declining Giuseppe's invitations to supper for two days. She shows up at breakfast and lunch to keep up appearances, but even then, she can't seem to force a smile on her face. She has requested to be left alone, and being as polite as they are, the Salvatores have not come to bother her. She hears them talking, though – they are clearly concerned. They think something might be wrong with her health. Giuseppe has been considering having a doctor at the boarding house. So she decides to surprise them. When Dolores knocks lightly on her door the next morning, the three men are still asleep.

"Good morning, Miss Caroline," the young girl says in a sleepy voice.

"I am sorry for waking you up so early, my dear. I would have taken care of this myself," Caroline says in a sympathizing voice.

By "this", she means the corset, of course. She has grown accustomed to the stupid thing and now she can hardly live without it. Not only does it make her look fabulous, it helps her get in the shoes of Ms. Caroline Jones. She doesn't feel like she can get down those stairs and pretend to be someone else until her waist is shrunk down to half its size. This corset is like a mask; she hides behind it. Only when she takes it off, when she is ready to sleep, does she become Caroline Forbes again, with all her drama and internal turmoil. She is very eager to put on the corset, today.

"Dolores, would you be as kind as to show me to the kitchens?" she says casually. "I wish to make breakfast for the gentlemen, this morning. This is why I asked you to be up so early. I might need your help."

"Why would you want to do that? Is something the matter with the food?" the girl asks, slightly worried.

"Not at all! I want to do something nice for them, is all."

"But, you have no business in the kitchens, Miss Caroline!"

"I don't understand."

"Educated girls like yourself have more important things to do. The servants would be flabbergasted to see you there. It's not…appropriate."

"Yeah, whatever," she snorts. "Just tell me where the kitchen is and I'll handle the servants."

"Very well," Dolores shrugs.

The young girl doesn't question her mistress' eccentricities anymore. However reluctant she is, she leads Caroline to the kitchens and as predicted, the servants throw undecipherable glances her way. Caroline is slightly amused when she understands they are afraid of her – not as a vampire, but as a house guest who would have no reason to be here other than complaining. When she informs them that she intends to cook breakfast this morning, the reaction is immediate. A dark-skinned woman in her forties approaches her.

"I understand that you're from California, Miss Jones?"

"Yes, I am."

"I have been told that Californian ways differ from ours, but you must know…"

"I know, you don't let educated girls like myself around the kitchens," Caroline cuts her off, clearly annoyed.

"Well, that will have to change. I am cooking breakfast this morning, end of story."

The people around her remain motionless for a few seconds and then it's like rush hour at the Mystic Grill. Everyone is making suggestions as to what she should cook, but she has already made up her mind. She makes a mental note to write in her diary about the ancient stove – gas tube is another thing she will be eternally grateful for. She knows that Giuseppe likes his coffee black and very strong, but Stefan likes tea better. As for Damon, Caroline knows he has the cook slip a little something in his coffee every morning, right under his father's nose – one thing that will be common to all Damons in all time periods, this impudence.

It takes Dolores' help and a few tears of frustration from the vampire to cook decent-looking pancakes. While she is getting busy in the kitchens, she marvels at how handy the servants are: these people make the bread, the marmalade; they grow their own vegetables and fruit. She wonders if there is one thing they can't do and decides she will be back here as much as she can, to learn a thing or two. She is a terrible cook herself, except for pancakes, pasta and mashed potatoes. Clearly, she has a lot to learn from them.

When she hears the patriarch leaving his bedchamber, she rushes everyone to set the table. It takes them less than three minutes and she wonders if they are vampires or something. However, when Stefan and Damon join their father in the dining room, she forgets about the servants. The brothers look deadly handsome this morning and it hadn't occurred to her before this very moment, but they look terribly alike when standing shoulder to shoulder. Both of them have dark hair, although Damon's is slightly darker, messy curls that would definitely need some combing, in Giuseppe's opinion. Their light eyes hold something mischievous yet incredibly charming. More than just a physical resemblance, it's the way they make her feel that is utterly similar. She hasn't seen the brothers together so many times and it always strikes her how close they are. It's almost as if invisible strings tied them to each other: when Damon moves, Stefan moves. When Stefan smiles, Damon laughs. She is mesmerized.

"Good day, gentlemen. I hope you have had a good rest from your night. Please, take a seat," she says with the smile of a hostess.

The three Salvatores exchange amused looks at how enthusiastic she is, this morning – she has been nothing but dark and gloomy for the past few days and they don't really understand the change, but they appreciate it.

"Miss Caroline," Stefan says with a respectful nod. "How lovely to see you!"

"Yes, dear child, how lovely indeed," Giuseppe Salvatore adds, and he does something that catches Caroline's attention – he gives Damon a little tap on the back.

It's the first time she has seen Giuseppe having an affectionate gesture towards his eldest son. The latter takes a few steps towards her and kisses her hand gently, earning a smile from her. Every time he does that, she can't help but internally roll her eyes at how rude he will later become and think "This is such a waste".

"Good morning, Caroline. You look wonderful, today," Damon greets her and she mechanically curtseys.

"Only today?" she pouts before she can help herself and the word INAPPROPRIATE pops into her head. His father is standing in the room after all, not the ideal time to flirt with him. Not that there is an ideal time for _her_ to flirt with _him_ anyway. Been there, done that, leads to no good, she thinks.

"Let me rephrase that," he says.

She watches him take a few steps back, then forth. He gestures so as to take her hand, but his fingers don't quite reach hers; he waits until she decides to give it to him and takes it to his lips once again. She frowns as a thought makes its way to her brain but vanishes before she can identify it. Caroline notices that aforementioned lips linger for one more second than the first time. From the corner of her eye, she can see Giuseppe watching benevolently.

"Good morning, Caroline. You look _exceptionally_ wonderful, as always," he says and she laughs.

"Nicely done, M. Salvatore," she laughs. "Now, if you'd like to sit, I've cooked breakfast for you, gentlemen."

"Excuse me?" Giuseppe Salvatore says. "Is something wrong with the servants?"

"Not at all. I wished to apologize for my appalling behavior of the past few days. The servants have been a great help, although I did have to force myself into the kitchen."

The men respond with silence. It has become clear that Caroline's life in California is nothing like the life of people in Mystic Falls. She has progressive ways of standing, dressing and talking – they have all accepted that. They have also learned that it's better to leave her un-contradicted when it comes to such matters. Giuseppe remembers his sons coming to him, distraught over how she lectured them when they refused to discuss the Civil War with her. The only woman he has ever known who was that bold is his deceased wife and Caroline reminds him of her – that's why he likes the girl as much as her unsettling manners.

"I see you are wearing your soldier uniform, Damon. Is that in the sole purpose of impressing me?" she teases once they are all settled and ready to eat.

"I'm afraid not," he answers. "I must start training, in case I shall join the front line."

The front line? Like Hell!

"M. Salvatore, will you allow him to fight?" she asks, praying that Giuseppe will give her some support.

"Yes, my dear. It is his duty to fight for the Confederacy. I'm sure you won't disagree."

"Actually, I do. From what I remember, the Confederacy are the bad guys!" she says, suddenly very fierce.

She sees a flash of anger cross Giuseppe's eyes, and then he is back to his usual self.

"You are from California, sweet child. It is only normal that you should think this way. Let us not argue so early in the morning about dreadful matters."

There is no way she is letting him out of her sight, especially not if he's going to expose himself to death. Yes, she knows that he didn't die at the war, but that was _before_ she was sent here and messed with the crossroads of time or whatever the crap that's called. She makes it her mission to keep him home, whatever it takes.

When she is done eating, she asks to be excused – she needs some time alone to figure out a way to make Damon stay. Giuseppe nods kindly to her and both Stefan and Damon gesture to pull her chair up for her. She looks at Damon on the right and Stefan on the left, and, for some reason she has to bite the inside of her cheeks to refrain a smile. Stefan smiles at his brother and steps back. Once again, Damon gestures to take her hand, but waits until she decides she wants to give it to him. As she does, it suddenly hits her. _Just come 10 when he comes 90_. She knows.

* * *

><p><em><strong>So, have you figured out the riddle yet? In this chapter, I wanted to show the melancholy that Caroline experiences, and everything she has sacrificed to save Damon. I'm sure you have noticed her growing affection for the brothers. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts !<strong>_

_**- M. - **_


	8. A Moment of Truth

_Day Twenty One - A Moment of Truth_

Caroline always thought that Stefan – Vampire Stefan, "Oh it's Tuesday look" Stefan – was one of those guys who never went to movies, for whatever reason. So when she finally remembered where she had heard the phrase, she couldn't believe it. It was in the movie Hitch, starring Will Smith. A _movie_, for God's sake. Not only does Stefan watch movies other than documentaries, he also uses the memorable one-liners in highly critical times.

The 90-10 rule applies in getting the first kiss. The man moves in close to the woman, about 90% of the way, and if the woman is interested, she makes the last 10% by moving towards him. So Stefan is saying that Damon will want to kiss her, and that she should let him. And he seriously expects her to be fine with that? She didn't sign up for this – being a guide to someone doesn't have to involve lip locking. It doesn't even make sense. She doesn't see how _that_ is going to save his life in the future. But she trusts Stefan. He wouldn't have said that if it wasn't vital. She just doesn't know how she is going to pull this one off.

Yes, Human Damon is very charming but kissing him? She never even considered it. Okay, maybe once. But it was out of sheer boredom, one day when she was completely miserable and he was nice to her. She's not attracted to him – or at least it's what she chooses to believe. As for Vampire Damon, the only thing she wants to do to him is slap him for every time he has disrespected her as a woman, as a human being, and as a vampire. Seriously, the man is full of himself. He is impulsive, unpredictable and unreliable most of the time. But then again, he is literally the reason she is still breathing, so what's a kiss in the face of all that?

She'll do it.

The hardest part is the pretending, yet again. Human Damon is nothing like his future self; yes, he is incredibly attractive and certainly aware of his good looks. Yes, women turn around to look at him when he walks down the streets of Mystic Falls with Caroline on his arm, and she can tell that they would kill to be in her place for a few seconds. Yes, he thoroughly enjoys that and sometimes, she finds a little something of that annoying cockiness she has grown used to in a self-satisfied comment. But he is a gentleman, and he will never, ever try to kiss her unless she openly encourages him to do so.

She certainly knows how to charm a man when she wants something from him, but she has a feeling that this is bigger than just that. She has a feeling that she should be very careful what she does or this might just fire back and blow up in her face. What if Human Damon falls for her? What if she falls for him? This has happened before – okay, maybe it wasn't exactly the same Damon and maybe it wasn't exactly love, but still. The way Caroline sees it, from what she heard from Giuseppe and Stefan, 1864 people don't do 'no strings attached'. There is no such thing as a kiss without commitment. Surely Vampire Stefan must know that. Which means, he wants her to commit to Damon. In a _romantic _way. Which means, he's either desperate or out of his freaking mind. She guesses a little bit of both. She hates the thought of him desperate. She wants to fix it. But then, she wants to find some other signs that will tell her how Stefan was clearly mistaken about the whole thing.

She has been thinking about this – it's almost been a month and she has had more than enough time to consider her options. She re-reads them mechanically in her journal. A notebook with a dark purple cover that feels like velvet under her hyper-sensitive fingertips, with rich paper, resembling parchment inside. She has asked one of those from Stefan. It feels so Romanesque whenever she settles down to her table and uses quill and ink to write. It's amusing, though, experiencing life before there were smartphones to which you can dictate anything you want to get typed.

_A – Stefan's unconscious and un-understandable plan. If Damon wants to kiss me, I let him. He is miraculously cured and I pop back into my bed in the next hour. NOT LIKELY._

_B – I was sent back to help Damon kill George Lockwood. No George, no descendants = no werewolves = no bite. Not likely either, that would mean killing Tyler or deleting him or whatever. DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT._

_C – I'm here to find Klaus and steal blood from him. They send me back, I give it to Damon, end of story. YEAH, AS IF._

_D – I was sent back to help Damon leave with Katherine after she fakes her death. NOW, THAT'S SOMETHING._

The last one is the one she likes best. It's also the most plausible, according to her. She still doesn't understand why she was sent back to 1864, but that has to do either with Giuseppe Salvatore or with Katherine Pierce. Since making Damon's relationship to his father better will be strictly no use when Stefan kills Giuseppe to complete his transition, it only leaves Katherine. Well, looking for Katherine for all these years is what made Damon the wreck that he is; it's what made him fall in love with Elena, and so, it's what made him get involved in that sacrifice mess and get bitten.

If Damon leaves town with Katherine in 1864 after the fire, only Stefan will return to Mystic Falls in 2010. With Katherine and Damon out of the picture, many, many things will be undone: Stefan's friend Lexi, Bonnie's grandmother, Anna, Pearl, Mayor Lockwood –they will all be alive. Not to mention that Caroline herself will be alive again, as in, human. This idea sends shivers of anticipation down her spine.

She is getting carried away. She can't do that. But she can't help it. Even if it won't stop Klaus from coming for them, even if she isn't sure that changing one detail will leave every other event untouched, this theory makes perfect sense and, come on, it would be a win for everyone. Damon gets the girl and they live happily ever after; Stefan can keep Elena to himself; people don't lose friends or family and Caroline's heart beats in her chest just so it can start racing when she catches a glimpse of Matt. Yes, definitely a win for everyone.

So _why_ would Stefan ruin that with his stupid charade? This is completely inconsistent with her theory. She would have seen the point in seducing _Human Stefan_, to upset Katherine and make her choose Damon. But she has this feeling that this is bigger than her.

So she'll do it.

As usual, a knock on the door takes her back to reality. She knows it's Dolores coming to inform her that Stefan is ready for their walk. She has been around the house long enough to guess who it is standing on the other side of the door, just listening to the person's steps. Dolores's are light and rushed – looks like this girl always has something to do.

"Good day, Miss Caroline," the girl says and Caroline notices that her hair is curled.

"I like what you've done to your hair, Dolores," she says with a smile.

"It will be a pleasure to do the same to yours for the night," Dolores answers politely.

"Oh no! I'll take care of my hair. I just meant to be nice."

"Er- well, I – erm. Thank you."

Caroline would love to get to know her a little more but she is very secretive. Whenever Caroline asks her questions about her life outside of the Salvatore Estate, the little girl shuts her out. She clearly isn't used to be talked to and the blonde feels slightly embarrassed to see the deference with which the girl treats her. She will have to get to the bottom of that. She shrugs it off nonchalantly and hands the corset to Dolores.

"Is M. Salvatore still willing to spend some time with me?" Caroline asks.

"Forgive me, Miss, but which M. Salvatore are you referring to?"

Caroline would laugh at that, but she doesn't really know the answer to this question. Since she can't just text Damon and ask if he wants to "hang out", she has to do this the old-fashioned way. Except, she has no clue what that can possibly mean. She has not really been paying attention in History class when it was about courting in that time period. So she does it her way. It's quite working, for the time being, all the compliments and longing stares and supposedly involuntary skin display. Damon seems to be always more eager to spend some time in her company, even though she still seeks Stefan's just a little bit more. It's like she is reaching the perfect balance – when she thinks about it, if she combines her interactions with Stefan with the ones she has with Damon, she might as well end up with _the_ perfect relationship that you hear of only in fairy tales.

As for today, she has actually made plans with both brothers. Or, more accurately, she is spending the afternoon with Stefan, doing whatever, and then, Damon is taking her into town. It is apparently the sign of a poor reputation for a woman to be seen outside after a certain hour, so Giuseppe has been denying Caroline the permission to get familiar with Mystic Falls after dark, but he agreed on the condition that one of his sons escorting her – obviously, Damon was very eager to be the one. He is taking her to a "dining room" (couldn't they just call it a restaurant?) and she has not been in a place filled with people in almost a month so she's really excited and equally nervous.

"Miss Caroline?"

"Stefan! I wish to know if Stefan is ready to go."

"Indeed, M. Stefan is waiting for you in his father's study. I'll show you the way when we're done here."

She and Dolores have purchased a few new gowns for the blonde, last time they were in town. She is wearing the fanciest today, because, for some reason, she really wants to make an impression. After almost half an hour, when Caroline sees her reflection in the mirror, she has to look twice to find the twenty-first century girl. She has always been good with fashion, and so, she quickly understood that heavy silks in solid colors were fashionable for both day and evening wear, as well as skirts made with two bodices: one long-sleeved and high necked for afternoon wear and one short-sleeved and low-necked for evening. However, she likes her clothing to mirror her personality, and since she is not quite the same person with both brothers, it only makes sense that she should be dressed differently.

Dolores leads her to Giuseppe Salvatore's study. She has never been there and she's looking forward to discovering another part of the house. When they get there, the maid nods respectfully and leaves her there, unsure of what to do. She helps herself in. The room is cool and a little dark, with a strong smell of leather and dusty books. The shelves are full of reference books that Caroline recognizes from the boarding house. She can't believe the brothers managed to keep them intact for 145 years. However, it's Stefan who takes her breath away. He is wearing his usual white cotton shirt with dark blue trousers but he looks dashing.

Caught up in his reading, with his eyebrows slightly furrowed, he is the breathing image of beauty. Caroline listens to the symphony of his heart beating and she can't help but feel incredibly proud of herself for not feeling teased by the sweet smell of his blood pumping into his veins. He breathes in and out slowly and for a second, she almost sees Vampire Stefan, lying in her bed beside her. She blinks quickly to erase the unsettling image. After a few seconds, she clears her throat and mentally thanks Dolores for her fashion assistance: the simplest blue promenade dress that she is wearing seems to be Stefan's taste.

"She's beautiful, and therefore to be wooed," he says, flashing a smile at her.

"She's a woman, and therefore to be won," she says, completing the quote. "Shakespeare."

Stefan's smile widens as he processes that she knows herself a bit of literature –more than the girls he usually has conversations with. Especially since Henry VI is not one of the reference books in schools. He puts down the book and strides to the blonde vampire, bowing to greet her. Suddenly, she feels like she always does in his company: captivating, intriguing, elegant. He treats her with so much respect that she truly feels like a princess and let's face it, she's getting addicted to the feeling.

Stefan lets her sit in Giuseppe's leather chair in the corner of the room. As usual, not many words are exchanged between the two of them. It's been twenty one days of reading, walking and talking just a little, but Caroline isn't bored this with routine, like she would be in 2011. She enjoys it, and she enjoys getting to know Stefan. Every day, he discloses something new about himself; something that she couldn't have suspected, looking at Vampire Stefan.

"I have found myself questioning many things," Stefan says after a moment of silence. "Things that I should not question."

"Like what?"

"Some of my father's decisions," he just says and she can hear that he won't tell more.

She leaves her chair to sit on the arm of his and she perceives the immediate tension in Stefan's body. She purposefully lets her hand rest on his shoulder and a breath gets stuck in his throat. She smiles at that – he is such a prude.

"Everything will be fine, Stefan. You will be fine, I promise."

"How can you be so certain?"

"I have seen the future," she says teasingly and he laughs a little.

"Have you, now? Tell me all about my future self, then."

She hesitates for a few seconds. She remembers Vampire Stefan telling her that he couldn't say anything about her mission and wonders if the same rule applies to her about the future. And then, she thinks, screw these witches who have left me here alone to do their dirty work.

"Your future self is an honorable man, who cares deeply about the people. He is the best friend one could imagine: kind-hearted and reliable. He is just as serious as you are, but when he decides to let loose just a bit, he is incredibly funny."

"You seem to like him a lot," Stefan laughs.

"I would trust him with my life."

"Let us hope I turn into that man, then."

Silence settles in for a few minutes, while Caroline tries to regain control of the situation. Stefan's heart has been beating fast in his chest since her gloved hand is resting on his shoulder, but now it is racing. He swallows.

"I would be curious to know how you feel about future Damon."

"Speaking of Damon," she says, willingly changing the subject. "I am very nervous about being alone with him tonight," Caroline confesses.

"The two of you have been alone before," Stefan points out. "What is so different?"

"You or your father, or _someone_, was always close. It's just the two of us, tonight, you know."

She looks down, slightly embarrassed to realize that she is actually getting very nervous about eating dinner with Damon in a restaurant full of people. Probably she's turning into an 1864 girl after all, anticipating the slightest smile, shivering at the most accidental brush of hands.

"Will you please come to my bedroom later and tell me what you think of the dress I'll wear tonight?"

"Miss Caroline!" Stefan says with wide eyes.

"What? We're friends, aren't we? Where I'm from, friends do this kind of thing for friends!"

"I am sorry, but it is absolutely out of the question, given the circumstances."

"Which circumstances are you talking about?

Stefan looks up from his book to Caroline's quizzical glance.

"You and Damon, of course," Stefan says, frowning.

"You can't give me your opinion on my gown because of 'me and Damon'?"

"He would certainly not appreciate me being in your bedchamber."

"What the…I mean, I am not sure I understand."

She listens with her mouth wide open as Stefan tells her about how her (very imaginary) father and Giuseppe Salvatore both are very conservative, and thus, both feel like they have a right and duty to take an active role in their children's choice of a spouse. Caroline starts to feel sick to her stomach at the mention of the word 'spouse'. Things only get worse.

"Your father and mine have been friends for a long time, now," Stefan says, as a conclusion.

"What does that mean?" she asks.

"Well, M. Jones has a right to determine which men would be allowed to court you. They have made an arrangement to get you and my brother married. I thought you were aware of it."

_No, I was not_.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I haven't said that in a long while but thank you all for your reviews, wonderful people. They all make me feel so lucky for having people reading the insanities my imagination produces ! <strong>_

_**So, I guess this is what you call a cliffhanger, right? I felt like the story needed something like that, something big that's going to change everything. Tell me what you think :)**_

_**- M. - **_


	9. It All Begins Here

_Day Twenty-One [Evening] -_ _It All Begins Here_

"_An arrangement to get you and my brother married." _What. The. Fuck.

Caroline believes in love. She does. Love is what makes the world go round. She has been loved and she has loved as well. She is not denying that. What she is saying here is simply that having someone in her life at all times is just more trouble than it's worth – whether that someone is Damon or not. She has never even considered marriage. Of course, like every girl in the world, she used to be in love with the _idea_ of marriage. Wearing a white dress and seeing her mother cry as she'd say "I do". Finding her soul mate and all that. Planning vacations for two. Getting home from work to a husband and kids, fetching a Christmas tree and wearing a gorgeous ring for everyone to see. Yeah, the idea of marriage. But honestly, as years went by and she got to know men a little more, she stopped believing in that bullshit altogether.

Now that Stefan has told her about Giuseppe Salvatore's intentions, she feels like marriage makes even less sense. Why would the universe allow something like this to happen to her? She is a good person – she is here, in this messed up situation, because she made a decision to do the right thing for once. On the one hand, she has Vampire Stefan telling her she should go around kissing Human Damon and thus, commit to him. On the other, she has Human Stefan telling her that her "parents" have dropped her here just so she and Damon could get the measure of each other and decide whether they want to spend the rest of their lives together. Now, let's be honest: the rest of their lives together is not going to last very long, just until she does whatever she needs to do here; there will be no Gucci dress, no crying mother, no Bonnie and Elena as bridesmaids. It will be nothing like her dream wedding. If that's what being a good person gets her, she might as well start bitching around.

Caroline is lying on her bed. Her conversation with Stefan gave her a killer headache and she ran off back to her room, asking to be left alone. She turned down Giuseppe's invitation to play crocket – once again. As soon as she reached her bedchamber, she felt the need to get out of those clothes – out of this costume. This wasn't her; the girl who was about to be betrothed to Soldier Damon Salvatore wasn't her and she needed to be herself again. Unconsciously resorting to her vampire strength, she took off her new dress and angrily ripped off her underwear: chemise, pair of drawers, corset, and crinoline. Under linens and structural underwear, they're called. Well, the hell with them. She wrapped herself in one of the white sheets and just lied there. It buys her some time. At some point, she will have to get out of this room and face _him_, she knows that. Because there is NO WAY IN HELL she is going to marry him. She thought she wanted to punch Vampire Damon, well now, she _really_ wants to punch Human Damon as well. She groans when she picks up the sound of steps coming to her door. It takes half a second to determine that it's Stefan and Damon – surely they're planning some kind of intervention.

"I have expressly demanded to be left alone, gentlemen!" she yells through the door, not opening her eyes.

_She wants nothing to do with me, how am I supposed to fix this?_ Damon whispers from the other side of the door, causing Caroline to curse her vampire sense of hearing. _Talk to her, I'm sure she'll understand. Besides, if you don't, Father will take care of this and we both know we should not let that happen, _Stefan answers anxiously and Caroline can hear the guilt in his voice.

"I'm not mad at you, Stefan. I am grateful that _someone_ was honest with me," Caroline shouts. "As for _you, _are you going to stay there forever?"

"If I have to," Damon answers just as fiercely.

"Fine. Come in," she finally says in the most exhausted voice.

Damon takes in a deep breath and turns the doorknob. The room is plunged in darkness, as Caroline has pulled the curtains. It's the second time he has been in this room since Caroline has been here and it still makes him nervous. She makes him nervous. It's something in the way she moves, in the way she speaks. She's unusual in a perfect way and the mere possibility that this beautiful woman could be his someday is enough to take his breath away.

What also takes his breath away, in a "OHMYGODWHATSHAPPENINGHERE" way, is to see her there, lying on her bed, with only a _sheet_ wrapped around her body. Damon is not a prude, contrary to his brother; he has been with women before but not _like that_. She is sitting on the bed, hugging herself, her knees drawn up to her chin and she doesn't seem concerned for one second about her nudity. He, on the other hand, is very concerned that he might not be able to focus on the life-changing conversation they should be having. His eyes caress every inch of exposed skin and Caroline realizes that something is wrong with him after a minute of awkward silence, broken only by the sound of his heart threatening to break out of his chest. She wants to raise an eyebrow at him and tell him to get over himself when she remembers that it's freaking 1864 and so he has probably never seen a woman so little dressed. He turns his back on her quickly.

"Get dressed, in the name of everything that's holy in this world," he finally gets out and he immediately regrets it.

"I will do as I please, M. Salvatore. And I please to remain with only this sheet wrapped around me. Are you not man enough to get a hold of yourself?"

He doesn't answer that, because he would have to say no. He knows it is incredibly wanton of him, but how can she expect him to bury what she provokes in him when it's so strong? He didn't know the strength of it himself until this moment.

"What do you want, Damon?" she snaps at him. "You know what? Save it! I talk, you listen! I'm sure that doesn't happen a lot in this misogynous world of yours."

"Caroline," he starts but she stops him with a gesture of her hand.

"You _listen_," she orders. "I will not be another disposable object to you, not again, you hear me? You cannot use me to get married or to bear children, or to do whatever crap you have in mind. I am NOT disposable. Not to you, not to anyone!"

Damon stands there and listens to her rant until she stops and gasps for air. He doesn't know what to answer to that, except that she is right. He does not see her as an object, of course not. She is a person, and she should get a say in this, but how is it his fault that her parents didn't tell her? He considers sitting on the bed to comfort her – she looks deeply upset – but this would not be appropriate. Actually, he is very nervous at the thought of someone (like his father) opening the door right this second and seeing this: him, staring at an almost naked woman. A dream come true, yet a nightmare.

"You may now speak," she whispers, recovering her 1864 elegance. "I can't tell what you are thinking and this is no pleasant feeling."

"I thought you and I had signed up for the same thing: getting to know each other and making a decision."

"Why haven't you told me a word about it, then? Were you trying to make the decision alone? Were you still studying me and determining whether I was good enough?"

"Father said I should take my time to woo you."

"Oh, so you're a good boy like that? You always do what Father says?"

"You know I don't, we've talked about this! I am not like my brother, I don't do 'the right thing' just because Father says so. I make my own decisions," Damon says a bit defensively. "And I do want to marry you, Miss Caroline Jones."

Caroline's eyes snap shut for a second. Caroline _Jones_, from California – this is who she is in his eyes. A young woman who should not feel comfortable half naked, alone in her bedroom with a man. A young woman who should feel thrilled to have found a husband. A young girl who has been throwing longing glances at him, who has been wearing gowns with low necklines even during the day in his presence. Of course he would think she knew. She is Caroline Jones and she cannot act like that. What is a wedding after all? She'll be gone soon.

"I am sorry," she says in a detached voice after a while. "Will you please wait outside while I make myself decent? We shall resume this conversation at the restaurant, if you like."

"You know, they don't make girls like you around here, Caroline," he says with a smile.

Just a few seconds later, Damon is gone and Caroline is wondering what the hell is wrong with her. She just caused a scene that she cannot explain to these people. The people who provide her a roof – what if Giuseppe Salvatore hears about this and decides that she is too instable a possible wife for his son? What if he kicks her out? She will look a fool and fail her mission. She will break Stefan's heart. She will be the death of Damon. It's the first time it actually occurs to her that it only takes the slightest mistake to make a giant fiasco of all this. This little scene she just caused is what it takes for Damon to not want her anymore and then, how will she kiss him? How will the magic work? She has to make this better, immediately.

Caroline storms around the room to retrieve some other garments; this is fastidious but she feels like this is the easiest part of being here – playing dress up. If she is being honest, the cage crinoline is the piece she likes the least. It restrains her ability to walk and she feels trapped inside of it, but eh, combined with the corset, it gives her the perfect silhouette. When it's time to put on her dress, the shadow of a smile appears at the corner of her lips. Certainly it will help her get back on Damon's good side.

Soon enough, they are in the same carriage, heading to town. It's really dark so Damon has not seen her dress or hairstyle yet. It's the first time that silence between the two of them has been awkward – she can't stand it anymore. She needs to make things better before they get to the restaurant, because she knows small towns: everyone probably knows about their engagement, and since this is their first appearance in public, all eyes will be on them. She doesn't mind, she just needs to act like your average 1864 girl. Starting now.

"Shall I call you my fiancé, now?" she asks, keeping her head down and acting the most sheepishly that she can without feeling nauseous.

"Of course not. I told you, we are getting to know each other and then, we will make the decision. I do not wish to rush you into anything."

"Why not? Our fathers seem perfectly fine with the idea."

"I'll wait," he says, looking outside and shrugging.

"For what?"

"For you to want me the way I want you," he says like it is obvious.

"You are a good man, Damon, I know that. I would be crazy not to want you. But what if I am not the person you think?"

"Then, I will learn to love the person that you are."

"But, Damon! What if I am not a good person?"

"Then no one in this world is good."

She understands that this marks the end of this conversation and she feels terrible for doing this to him – lying, cheating, and deceiving him about the nature of her feelings towards him, while he's there, thinking she was sent from above or something. It hurts because she realizes that she's just being what he wants her to be, just like Vampire Damon was being who she wanted him to be when they were dating. She is using this Damon to save another Damon; and if she's being honest, she's using this Damon to make another Stefan happy and the more she thinks about it, the less it makes senses. Two Damons, two Stefans, two Carolines – this is all too overwhelming for her.

"Will you stop thinking and enjoy the night?" he asks politely. "Do you think you can do that for me?"

"Anything to please you, M. Salvatore," she answers, quite unaware of the flirtatious tone of her voice.

"Wonderful. I think we have reached our destination," he says, thrilled.

He rushes to open Caroline's door and lend her a helping hand to get out of the carriage. A few couples are standing at the entrance of the restaurant and Caroline feels like this is her Cinderella moment. She picks up the sound of Damon's gasp when she is fully exposed.

Damon can barely stop himself from licking his lips as he watches the moonlight glow against her figure as she exits the carriage. His eyes wander past her waist line, then slowly across the ivory gems that begin their clusters around her chest, and run sporadically down to her hips; matching the glistening spark that her azure eyes emit, even at night. The gorgeous champagne gown flows effortlessly to the ground as it clings perfectly to Caroline's frame, seemingly complimenting her milky skin without daring to overbear it. The cascading train at the bottom seems never-ending, as his eyes watch it unravel as she walks towards him. The strapless garment renders her perfect shoulders exposed, instantly sending his brain into frenzy. Damon quickly becomes enamored by at all of the details, making it hard for him to focus on this flawless being in front of him. Her collar bone, her neck – he forces himself to peel his eyes away from them, as his eyes eagerly fall on her face again. The dress, in all its stunning glory, is divine – as divine as Miss Caroline Jones is herself.

"I bought this one for you," she says truthfully. "Do you like it?"

"I am speechless, Caroline. You are…I – I am very proud to walk in there with you on my arm."

She throws a perfect smile at him and bends her knees slightly to thank him. They make their way inside and it's Caroline's turn to be speechless. The place looks more beautiful that she could have imagined: there are candles everywhere – of course, electricity was not yet displayed all around the country just yet but the lights make everything look so romantic. She has always had a soft spot for this. Somehow, it's her first candlelight dinner ever – with Damon Salvatore, of all people. It feels weird, but it feels amazing at the same time.

The food is absolutely delicious, and the wine tastes perfect, and people are looking at them enviously, and there are people playing the cello a few feet away and everything is perfect, but none of it matters. It's just Caroline and Damon, talking incessantly about the way to handle their "situation". Caroline tries to be as honest with him as she can: she tells him that California girls aren't used to being paired with strangers, and that they don't get married at the age of seventeen. She knows she shouldn't be telling him that, but when she looks into his eyes and sees so much honesty, she simply can't find it in her to lie to his face.

"So California girls choose their life partners? Randomly? This is certainly progressive," he points out.

"Wouldn't you like to be able to choose your wife?"

"That wouldn't make much of a difference, you know. The women here, they are nothing like you," he says with a familiar glint in his eyes. "Needless to say, I like you better."

Caroline laughs a little – at least, that's something of him she knows: he is switching to "Lady Killer mode". Two can play that game.

"What's so much better about me?"

"Never before has a woman yell at me," Damon says with a smirk. "I like that."

"You like being yelled at?" she repeats incredulously.

"By a naked you, very much," he whispers wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"By me wrapped in a sheet," she corrects.

"Whichever."

The night goes by mostly like this, and Caroline feels more and more comfortable around this version of Damon. He is a lot like the one she is used to, self-confident and very charming, only she still has the upper hand. She knows he could easily be in control of their relationship; when they met in 2010, she had no idea that he was a vampire. It didn't stop her from being incredibly attracted to him. She thought it was because of his bad boy attitude, but she questions it now, looking into Human's Damon eyes and feeling equally attracted to him. There is something deeply romantic about him, as opposed to the cynicism of Vampire Damon. She likes this softer side of him; she likes that, when she gets home, she will put pen to paper and write down the beauty of his smile.

The household is asleep, or at least, pretending to be, when they get back. Giuseppe and Stefan are obviously anxious to hear what Damon has to say about their evening together. The two men are in Giuseppe's study but they turned off the oil lamp when they heard Damon and Caroline coming. Standing in front of her bedroom door, the vampire puts a finger on her lips, so as to let Damon know that they are being listened to and he mouths a "Sorry about that."

"Well, Damon, I have had an incredible time with you tonight," she says, speaking just a little too loud, and he quickly understands the game.

"Will you do me the honor of going to dinner some other time with me, then?"

"I look forward to it."

"I couldn't be more pleased to hear you say so, Miss Caroline. Now, I will wish you a good night, you must be tired."

"That's very sweet of you, Damon. I could use some rest."

"Good night, then."

"I will see you in the morning," she says.

She holds out her hand to him and he kisses it lightly. This is it, she thinks. This is the moment. The first date is over; he has taken her back to her door. Logically, the first kiss should happen now. So what is he doing, walking away? She clears her throat and he turns around.

"Are you not going to kiss me goodnight, Damon?" she whispers seductively.

"It would be highly inappropriate of me," he objects, faking to be shocked.

"Come on, you know you want to."

"Cocky, much?" he says and she smiles, remembering the similar exchange she had – will have? – with him.

"Very much," she answers, mirroring what he said – will say? damn technicalities – to her. "Now, about that kiss?"

The human simply shakes his head.

"Very well, then. Good night, M. Salvatore."

He almost wants to laugh at Caroline's offended expression. She clearly isn't used to being rejected. She turns away from him quickly and he waits until her fingers brush against the doorknob to put his hands on her waist and spin her around. Caroline gasps and a mere second later, he has her pinned against the door, maintaining her with his hands on her waist, his body pushing against hers. He lets his hands appreciate the delicate fabric of her gown, feeling the corset underneath it, remembering the creamy skin that's hidden there. His piercing blue eyes meet hers, and he smirks at her when she blinks first.

Slowly, he places his right hand in the hollow of her neck, and both of them shiver as his warm skin rubs against hers. His thumb draws circles on her skin and for a second, she remembers Vampire Stefan doing this to her, causing her stomach to violently stir. Caroline wants to lean into the touch, she wants to close her eyes and feel it completely but she can't seem to regain control of her body; she just stands there, paralyzed. Her chest rises faster and faster as Damon's forehead comes to rest against hers; she can feel his breath on her cheeks, intoxicated by the faint smell of the whisky he has been drinking, and damn it, it takes all she has not to initiate the kiss herself.

Stefan said to make the remaining 10%, so she has to wait for Damon to lean in. That's how it needs to be done. She must wait. Everything just seems be to in slow motion as he stares into her eyes and parts his lips slightly. It's more than she can take – she has never felt that way about a stupid kiss. Not with Vampire Damon, not with Matt, not with Tyler – not with anyone. It's like she has never been kissed all over again, like she really is Caroline Jones. It's confusing but all she can think about is _Ohmigod Damon is going to kiss me, _and then, _I am doing this for Stefan - this is nothing romantic at all, _and then _Ohmigod Damon is going to kiss me _again.

Damon's lips stop just an inch away from hers and he presses them onto her cheek. She whimpers in frustration and immediately wants to stake herself for looking so needy. Damon chuckles.

"I _will_ kiss you," he whispers in her ear in the most seductive voice he can manage. "When you convince me that you really want it. And trust me, you will."

And with that, he walks away from her, straight to his bedroom.

_Damn you, Damon Salvatore._

* * *

><p><strong><em>I know you've all been waiting for this - so, what it worth the wait? Tell me what you hated, what you loved, your favorite lines, everything.<em>**

**_Also, I have to confess that the paragraph describing Caroline's dress does not belong to me. I had my friend Kendra write it for me, most of you know her under the name of xthesebonesx (if you haven't read her stories, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THE GIRL HAS JUST STARTED WRITING DAROLINE!). _**

**_Thank you, K. This fits perfectly into the chapter and makes the moment magic._**

**_- M. - _**


	10. You're Not Stuck in Vain

_Day Thirty [Present Time] - You're Not Stuck In Vain_

With everything that's happened, Bonnie simply doesn't feel comfortable around her own father anymore. He doesn't understand who she is, what she's been through. She loves that about him, because when he looks at her, all he sees is his teenage daughter, and so she can pretend that she's just that, but pretending is more than she can do at the moment. So she stays at Elena most of the time– her friend having lost every parental authority provides the perfect excuse.

Bonnie is lying on her back, staring at the ceiling of Elena's bedroom. While the doppelganger has fallen asleep somewhat peacefully a few hours ago, the witch is trying to focus on the sounds from the outside to lull herself to sleep: the nightlife, the small animals, the gusts of wind through the leaves – she used to find comfort in those sounds. Not anymore.

Bonnie hears Elena tossing in her bed and muttering Stefan's name. She feels a lump in her throat that she struggles to swallow. This has been happening every night. Elena is obviously worried about Stefan, but she has too much on her hands, trying to get herself together and looking after Jeremy, to fix her relationship with her vampire boyfriend, or said vampire boyfriend. Besides, Stefan doesn't want to fix things, or to be fixed.

The vampire is dealing with his brother's "death" in his own way. When he thought he could handle losing Damon if he was sure that his brother would be happy and alive "somewhere", he is now completely breaking apart. When he came back from his visit to Caroline, he thanked Bonnie for allowing him to do that, reassured Sheriff Forbes and went into something like shock. His eyes became unfocused as he walked out of the house – he didn't even bother to drive his car back home; he ran through the woods. He has not spoken a word to any of them ever since nor has he left the boarding house. Alaric is the only one that he allows in; meaning Alaric is the only one he doesn't bare his fangs at. The first time he did that to Elena, she couldn't stop crying for three hours. So they have just given up, for now. Alaric goes once a day to make sure that Stefan feeds, period.

Somehow, Bonnie is the luckiest and the most cursed of all. Her ancestors have chosen Emily Bennett to be her special interlocutor for the duration of Caroline's time in the past. And so, Emily has found a way to allow Bonnie to keep an eye on her friend: she can watch what's happening in the past. It's just like watching TV; it goes on and on inside her head. In that, she is the luckiest. Whenever she gets too anxious, she can close her eyes and look at Caroline and Damon having a good laugh behind Giuseppe Salvatore's back.

But she is cursed, too. No matter how hard she concentrates, she can't push away the images of Caroline, struggling in 1864. No wonder she has trouble sleeping. Actually, she has trouble eating, reading, walking, laughing – she has trouble functioning. The other part of the curse is that her ancestors were very specific about one particular point: she must remain the only one who knows what's happening, and what's meant to happen in the end. Yes, there is something bigger than just keeping Damon away from Katherine. Something much, much bigger. But she can't tell, or she'll ruin it. So, she also watches as everyone around her suffers from the loss of Damon and Caroline's open-ended absence.

Whenever she feels the urge to let it all out, Bonnie takes a deep breath and thinks about the bigger picture. This is worth it. If she manages to keep her mouth shut and if Caroline manages to accomplish the mission she has been given, their lives will be better, eventually. Her friends will be eternally grateful for what she's done. In the meantime, guilt is consuming her.

Today, Bonnie went with Alaric to see Stefan, as Elena was still too frightened of what she might find there. All the vampire said was: "I need Caroline." Bonnie got the message loud and clear: "send me back". He had this look of raw pain on his face; physical pain. She ran away from the boarding house, promising she would do her best to get him in touch with Caroline again. In fact, she ran to stop herself from saying something she might regret. What she doesn't understand is why Stefan would be more concerned about Caroline than about Damon.

And here she is, wide awake in the middle of the night, trying to block out the images of Caroline doing some reading with Human Stefan. In moments like this, Bonnie wishes she were clueless just like the others, because she wants to send herself back in time and knock some sense into her friend. She might have been confident in the beginning that if someone could pull this off, it was Caroline, but Bonnie is slightly worried now. She thought the episode of the almost kiss with Damon would have been enough to keep her friend focused: Caroline simply wasn't one to tolerate rejection, as playful as it might be. Bonnie expected her to do everything in her power to seduce Damon – and God knows that could easily be done, but instead of that, Caroline hasn't changed her ways at all: she keeps splitting her time equally between the brothers and building a daughter-father relationship with Giuseppe Salvatore. This has to stop. Bonnie takes in a deep breath and silently calls on Emily. The voice of the latter soon resonates in her head.

"What is it?"

"I need to be able to send Stefan into Caroline's dreams, on a regular basis. And I know what you're going to say: he will not interfere with her mission, since I have told him nothing. It's not even about _that_. He hurts, and for some reason, she's the only one he will talk to. Please. You know he has a good heart. Let me help him."

Emily remains silent for a moment, and Bonnie knows that she is interceding on her behalf to the other witches. After what seemed like an eternity, Emily's voice speaks again, in a distant whisper.

"There is a concoction you can use. But know that our help can only extend so far. Do not call upon us again, or we shall resort to reprisals."

Bonnie exhales deeply. It's like a weight has just been lifted off her shoulders.

"Thank you."

Later in the night or earlier in the day, Elena wakes up to an empty bedroom. After withholding a yawn, her eyes snap open and she wrinkles her nose at the most disgusting smell. She wonders what in the world could possibly smell that bad. She's pretty sure that even a corpse wouldn't have such a strong scent.

As usual, she gets out of bed and stops in front of Jeremy's door to make sure that he is fine. The teenager is still asleep, his breathing peaceful and regular. Elena smiles at the sleeping figure of her little brother; she strides towards his bed and sits on the edge, running her fingers through his hair. He would shove her away if he were awake, rolling his eyes at her protectiveness, but she knows he likes it, deep down inside. Because when she mothers him like that, he can be a sixteen-year-old boy again and fake innocence. Her day doesn't start properly until she does that.

Every second of every day is nothing but an excruciating pain. Wherever Elena's eyes land, there's something there to remind her of Jenna, of John, of Damon. Every breath, every step she takes is torture, but she keeps her head held high, for Jeremy. She is all the family he has left and she will not fail him like she has failed them. She will be a mother, a father, an uncle, an aunt and a sister for him.

She's brought back to reality when Bonnie curses loudly from the kitchen. Elena rushes downstairs to find the room in a mess like never before. There are jars everywhere, each looking more suspicious and disgusting than the other. No wonder the house would smell like that, Elena is pretty sure there are dead things in these jars. In the middle of this mayhem stands Bonnie, covered in unidentifiable substances, with her hair disheveled. She's still in her pajamas, so Elena guesses she has been up to _this _right from when she woke up.

"Bonnie, what the Hell is going on here?" Elena says with an amused grin across her face.

"A potion. In the making. Sort of," the dark-skinned girl answers, avoiding Elena's glance.

"You're really taking this whole witchy thing to the next level, you know. May I ask why you're brewing some stinking potion in my kitchen, so early in the morning?"

"It's for Stefan."

Elena's smile vanishes instantly. She hasn't seen Stefan in two weeks. Actually, she has not even heard from him in two weeks, except for Alaric's daily reports. She has been putting off a visit but this might be her cue. What kind of trouble was Stefan getting himself into, that would require such a thing? Why would Bonnie help him? To begin with, why would he ask help from Bonnie and not her? Apart from the fact that she's not a witch, of course.

"Let me take it to him."

"Are you sure, Elena?" Bonnie asks with a concerned look. "He's really in a bad place right now."

"All the more reason for me to go."

Her friend agrees quite easily and so half an hour later, Elena has showered, left a note for Jeremy to not worry, and driven to the boarding house. Stefan must have heard her car pulling over, but he doesn't come out to greet her like he usually would. She has been sitting in her car for fifteen minutes, trying to figure out what she is going to say to him. She is so confused about him, about their relationship.

She understands the need to be alone. She does, but she's had enough of Stefan giving her the cold shoulder just because he's hurting. She is hurting, too. Yes, he has lost a brother and he should be devastated, but it's no reason to shut her out. She has lost a mother, a father and an aunt in basically the same time period and she's still standing. He has no right to write off her like that. It's not fair to her, and it's not fair to their relationship.

She takes a deep breath and gets out of the car, careful to slam the door loud enough for him to hear, in case he doesn't already know that she's here. She strides slowly towards the mansion and opens the door. Well, if she thought her kitchen was a mess earlier, this is a completely different level. In the parlor, every item of furniture is covered in a thick layer of dust. There's broken glass on the floor, and a strong smell of alcohol in the air. Elena takes another deep breath, preparing herself to go upstairs and confront Stefan – she'll come back later to deal with the mess.

"OH MY GOD!" she screams when she turns around and he is standing there, mere inches away from her.

Stefan catches the bottle that escapes Elena's hands as she jumps back, using his vampire reflexes. He wrinkles his nose at the appalling smell and raises an eyebrow at her, but she is too busy scrutinizing him to say anything. He is nothing like the man she has grown to know and love. Before, one Stefan Salvatore just out of the shower was the most delightful sight to see. Now, it's a completely different story. His handsome features have disappeared under a repelling amount of facial hair and his eyes are blood-injected, probably from the lack of sleep. His hair is disheveled, and not in the sexy kind of way – truth be told, he looks like a wet animal and Elena instinctively takes a step back. _I should be happy he's not growling at me this time_.

"What are you doing here, Elena?" he groans and she rolls her eyes at him.

"Hey boyfriend, I'm fine, thanks," she snaps acidly. "I'm just dropping this," she adds, gesturing to the bottle he is still holding.

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you. After we talk."

It's Stefan's turn to roll his eyes. While the past month has changed him completely, Elena is still the same: she still wants to talk, because she still believes that _talking_ can fix things.

"I can't talk to you right now, Elena."

"But you want to talk to Caroline," she points out, bitter.

"So that's what this is about," he sighs, annoyed. "Please stop embarrassing yourself with this jealous girlfriend act," he says harshly.

"I have a right to ask! What did I do? Are you upset with me, Stefan?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, Elena, I am upset with you for showing up here and going on and on about Caroline while we could be having a completely different conversation."

"Excuse me if I can't wrap my head around the fact that you are willing to travel through the years to speak to her while you ignore me," she snaps back.

"Excuse me if I'm worried about the girl who gave up on her life to save my brother," he says.

Elena looks at him with wide eyes. Over the past month, all she could get from Stefan was anger or, in the best case scenario, indifference. But just now, when he talked about Caroline, his voice naturally switched to something sweeter. She could have sworn she even saw the hint of a smile across his lips. But then she understands the meaning behind his words and her mouth drops. Is he seriously angry with her for not going in the past?

"Stefan, you- I… there's Jeremy, I couldn't! And you know you wouldn't have let me go, anyway! You can't hold that against me!"

He shakes his head in disbelief. She really doesn't understand.

"Of course I would never want you to leave Jeremy behind."

"So what is it? Tell me, so I can fix it," she begs him.

"You didn't even think about it. All I wanted was for you to consider throwing it all away to save him. To save _me_," he finally admits and it's immediately easier for him to breathe.

"Oh. So that's what makes Caroline so special."

"I wanted you to look out for me."

Elena heaves a deep sigh. She understands where he's coming from. He has saved her so many times, from so many things. He deserved to be saved as well, and he deserved her to have considered it. But even now, she can't bring herself to consider it for one second. There is Jeremy. And maybe she doesn't have enough love for both; maybe she can't love Stefan the way he deserves to be loved and be a rock for Jeremy at the same time.

"Jeremy…" she starts, but he cuts her off.

"…will always come first, I know," he says and he smiles at her for the first time in a month – it breaks her heart. "That's the way it should be."

"Then what?" she asks, afraid of the answer.

"You know what," Stefan says. "You must take care of your brother and I'm still trying to figure out a way to bring mine back. We can't make a relationship work right now, Elena," Stefan whispers, knowing that with these words, he will break her.

"I know."

This is a love they both want, but it's a love they don't need. Silence sets in between those two, who are now ex-lovers. Stefan listens to Elena's rising pulse as she tries to get a hold of herself and hold back her tears. He super-speeds to her and his arms close on her tiny figure. He lets his fingers tangle in her hair and for the first time in a month, he feels comfortable being close to her. She huddles up in his arms, letting the sadness get the best of her. He holds her tightly as she silently cries in the hollow of his neck.

He wants to tell her that she has changed him more than 145 years of existence have. He wants to tell her that apart from Damon, she is the person he loves the most on the planet. He wants to tell her that this isn't farewell, that it's goodbye _for now_ – because at this very moment, there is no doubt in his mind that once he is able to stand on his own two feet again, he'll run back to her. But he can't speak and neither can she, so they stand here, in a tight embrace. After a few more minutes, Elena cups Stefan's face with her hands. Their eyes meet and Stefan feels his heart ache at the sight of the steam of tears on her cheeks; he tenderly wipes them away. It would be impossible to tell who initiates it, but they share a bittersweet goodbye kiss that lasts for as long as Elena can stay without breathing. Then, she reluctantly breaks away from him.

"The potion will take you into Caroline's dreams, Bonnie made it. Don't drink too much at a time, she can't make more."

"Thank you, Elena."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Your response to last chapter has been overwhelming : thank you ! <strong>__**I felt like we needed to keep up with what's going on in 2011 as well, so here it is. Are you really surprised that Elena and Stefan broke up? Oh, and what do you think is the bigger picture that Bonnie refers to? Hint : it's something BIG. Told ya I had many surprises coming up for you !**_

_**Reviews are love. Make me feel loved ;)**_

_**- M. - **_


	11. Try A Little Tenderness

_Day Thirty [1864]_ - _Try a little tenderness_

"OH MY GOD!" Caroline yells as soon as she opens her eyes.

"Hello to you, too, Caroline," Stefan smirks, quite happy with himself for startling her.

Just a second before, he was lying on his back, next to her, with his arms under his head, staring at the ceiling. Now, he is resting his head on one of her classy pillows. His arms are folded on his chest – it looks like he had been waiting for her to open her eyes for a while. Just like Elena did a few hours ago, the blonde scrutinizes him. Contrary to the one he must now refer to as his ex-girlfriend, Caroline doesn't bother to hide her disgusted expression.

"It is very rude to enter a lady's bedchamber uninvited, M. Salvatore," she lectures him.

"Technically…"

"You'd better not say that I am dreaming, because this looks more like a nightmare. What is the matter with you, Stefan? You look absolutely awful."

"Why, thank you," he mumbles.

"Which reminds me," she starts. "That I need to kill you."

Stefan raises an eyebrow at her as she straddles him at the waist and starts hitting him in the chest with her tiny hands all the while muttering incoherent words. He is torn between the need to fight back and the irresistible desire to laugh at her ridiculous attitude – she is definitely not going to hurt him if she keeps hitting him _like that_. However, he has been on edge lately and so being hit repetitively by a furious Caroline could easily lead to no good. Stefan gets a strong hold on her wrists. He is stronger than her, and so he effortlessly switches their positions.

"Okay, that's enough. What did I do?" he asks through gritted teeth.

"What you – you seriously don't _know_? Do you happen to remember the part where you told me to kiss your brother?" she asks innocently.

"Oh, that," he acknowledges and gets off of her.

They sit on the bed, face to face, and stare into each other's eyes for a long while. Stefan smiles at Caroline's pissed off expression and she barely fights the urge to stick her tongue out at him. No words are spoken for a long while, because words are unnecessary.

When Caroline looks at Stefan right now, she sees her sanctuary. She sees the only person who she can be herself with: she doesn't have to pay attention to her language, she doesn't have to pretend to be shallow, and she doesn't have to be someone she is not. She loves him for that – for being her escape from the nineteenth century. When she looks into his eyes – the only thing that hasn't changed too much about him since the last time she saw him – she remembers the twenty-first century: the decade dance, the Grill, the Salvatore boarding house, the woods. The memories Stefan carries with him remind her of who she really is. He keeps her from losing herself. She had been feeling slightly blue for the past few days but now that he is here, she feels whole again.

When Stefan looks at Caroline, he sees his only hope, in so many different ways. Of course, she is trying her best to save his brother, oblivious to the fact that she is actually taking Damon away from him. But it's more than that – it's her selflessness, her perkiness even in times of trouble. She makes him feel like his life still has purpose. He vividly remembers when Katherine turned her into a vampire; that night at the school carnival, when he promised her not to let anything happen to her. This is his purpose, now. Making sure that she stays safe, in 2011, in 1864; forever. She keeps him from losing himself; she gives him a valuable reason to fight the anger and the pain.

"How is everyone at home?" Caroline whispers, almost scared to hear the answer.

"Me and Elena broke up," he says, because that's the only thing he knows.

"No, you didn't," she says knowingly. "You've both been through a lot lately. Give it time," she says and brushes his hand.

"Look at you, giving me advice on relationships," he teases. "Speaking of, how are things with Damon?"

Caroline pouts. Things with Damon have been on and off. He finally kissed her three days ago, after a walk to Wickery Bridge. They sat on the bank for the whole afternoon, discussing various things: her friends, his upcoming departure for the war, the possibility of their marriage. She remembers his amused expression when she told him she would need to get a job once they were married because she would not "be one of these useless wives who sit around all day waiting for their husbands to bring all the income". That was then that he kissed her.

It was then that she realized there was a spark between the two of them – but of course, she doesn't say that to Stefan. She just says that ever since, Damon has been playing hard to get. He spends less time with her and when he does, he is courteous and very appropriate – almost uptight. The more she gets to know him, the more she finds that he is a lot like Vampire Damon after all, at least when it comes to relationships. He likes to play games, and as much as she likes it too, she can't forget that she is on a mission. The clock is constantly ticking inside her head.

"I know this is a lot of pressure on you. And I'm sorry that you're alone in this, Caroline," he says.

"I have you," she answers with a genuine smile. "That's all I need."

Once again, silence settles in. Caroline is getting used to these moments of calm when Stefan is around. She decides to lie back on the bed and he joins her. She spontaneously rests her head on his chest and while this could be very awkward, they both need it. When Stefan is holding her in his arms, she feels safe, just like he is keeping all the bad away.

"Your father wants to get me and Damon married, you know," she says casually.

"It shouldn't surprise me," Stefan laughs a little.

"Of course, I've done nothing to jeopardize his enterprise, since you made it clear that I need to seduce your brother. But I've been thinking about what it means, for Damon."

"What would that be?" he says, faking ignorance.

"If we're engaged when Katherine gets here, she won't turn him into a vampire. He'll die."

Stefan doesn't answer that, for several reasons. First, he would be confirming that her mission is to keep his brother human, and God knows what consequences this confession could have, for both of them. Second, he still can't bring himself to say the words.

"I am not fine with that. I promised you I would save your brother, so I came up with a better plan."

"Well, are you going to tell me?" he asks, suddenly curious.

"I thought you'd never ask", she says, flashing a smile at him. "So I've been thinking about how things got so out of hand with Damon in Present Time, and why I was sent back to 1864 specifically. I came to the conclusion that I must convince Katherine to choose Damon over you, so that they will both get away from here after the fire. You'll be able to fall in love with Elena later on, but Damon won't come back for the comet, since he'll already be with Katherine. If he doesn't come back, he doesn't get bitten. Ta-da!"

Stefan sits up in the bed and looks at her, mesmerized. This girl definitely has a way to surprise him when he least expects it. While they are all busy following the rules Bonnie and her ancestors have set for them, here she is, getting to the bottom of things and coming up with the miraculous solution that could save them all. Caroline Forbes is not only the most kindhearted girl he has ever known, she is also the smartest. Just an hour ago, Stefan was struggling with the idea that his brother was lost for good and now, everything is different. Brighter, better. Caroline has done something he thought was impossible: she gave him hope again. She's magical.

"So, what do you think?" she asks impatiently. "Is that a good idea?"

For the first time in a long while, Stefan lets memories of the past rush over him. Talking with Caroline reminds him of who Damon used to be before Katherine. His brother was the person he admired the most in this world, even more than their father. If Caroline gets her way and makes Damon and Katherine leave Mystic Falls together, Human Damon and Vampire Damon could be this person for eternity. Someone bright, hungry for life, trustworthy. Free from all cynicism and bitterness. Maybe their relationship as brothers could be completely different. Maybe it could be what it used to be.

But then he remembers the pain the witches inflicted on him last time he was with Caroline, when he almost gave away what her mission what. He is 162 years old, he is used to the pain, so he got over it pretty easily, but Caroline, she is still so young. If she messes up with their plan, who knows what they will do to her? Losing Damon is hard enough; he will not risk Caroline's life. He promised her to not let anything happen to her and so he finally tells her to drop it.

"Caroline, this is the best idea you could have had," he says with a grateful smile. "The very best, I swear. And I wish I could tell you to act on it but you have to let it go."

"What? Why? I thought you'd be happy. I thought you'd be proud of me."

"I am, Caroline. I can never thank you enough for being here, trying to save Damon. And I told you, this is the best idea you've ever had, but there are rules that can't be broken."

"What rules?"

"Bonnie's ancestors have sent you here for a good reason. Now that you have found it, just do what you have to do to complete your mission and everything will be fine."

"Or what?" she says challengingly, crossing her arms on her chest.

"Or they will hurt you, keep you here forever – I don't know, but I can tell that you're not going to like it. Caroline, promise me you'll do what you were asked to and nothing more."

"But Stefan," she protests before he cuts her off severely.

"Caroline, I'm serious. Be Caroline Jones and nothing more."

The blonde looks daggers at him – she is not used to Stefan being so patronizing except in times of trouble. She sighs and gets off the bed to curtsey at him with the best submissive attitude she can fake. Caroline Jones all the way.

"Of course, M. Salvatore. I will do as you say."

Stefan shakes his head at this childish attitude. Despite her courage and maturity about this whole "Save Damon" operation, she remains the same Caroline and with everything that has changed in Stefan's life lately, he couldn't be more grateful for it. He smiles at her and the conversation resumes.

"Now that we have discussed Damon and home," he starts. "I want to know how you're doing."

She doesn't answer right away. Where could she possibly start? On the one hand, she has never felt so good in her whole life because she is doing something big; she is making a change for the better. She is not the backup plan – she was chosen to do this. Of course, she is used to people expecting things from her: she is head of the cheerleaders, she has been elected Miss Mystic Falls, and she takes part in several charities. But never before has anyone trusted her with something as important and sacred as a life. She has purpose and that is the most amazing feeling in the world. She would tell him that, but she feels _it_ again. Her body feels heavier, her vision blurs, her head spins. For a few seconds, she tries to fight it but she's not strong enough – something she is not used to anymore.

"Do you feel that?" she asks anxiously. "It's like last time, I think I'm waking up."

"It's okay. Bonnie gave me a potion that I will use to check on you every now and then."

"Come back soon, please."

As she is about to reach out to pull him in a hug, Caroline feels her spirit being brought back to her body.

"I promise. Soon," his distance voice says as she opens her eyes.

She hears the familiar light knocks on her door. Dolores. The vampire frowns – this girl has a way to pop up at the most inconvenient times. While she does feel blessed to have been given the chance to save Damon, and to experience life in the nineteenth century, Caroline would have a few complains that she would have liked to talk to Stefan about: first, can she not be freed from her maid? She likes her independence and having someone following her at all times is really a pain in the butt when it comes to feeding. Which reminds her that she hasn't fed in two days – she'll need to fix that later today before she gets on edge.

"Yes, Dolores, come in."

"I am very sorry to disturb you, Miss Caroline, but Master Salvatore sends me with a message. We will be welcoming a new houseguest soon. Her name is Katherine Pierce."

_Uh-oh._

* * *

><p><strong><em>So, Stefan and Caroline have shared another sweet moment, she unveiled her big plan, which I'm sure y'all love and Katherine is finally on her way, I know some of you have a lot of unanswered questions about her. Will she or will she not turn Damon? Will Caroline do it? What's Bonnie's big plan? About that, I can tell you that you won't know before Last Chapter ! I hope you enjoyed the reading !<em>**

**_- M. - _**


	12. These Are My Confessions

_Day Thirty-Two -_ _These Are My Confessions_

It's been two weeks of internal turmoil for Caroline, since she figured out what her mission was. Her conversations with Stefan and Katherine's upcoming arrival have only made things worse. Caroline knows that this is a defining moment. She is standing at a crossroads and the choice she makes will shape her future. Two very different paths are waiting for her to decide. She spends countless hours held up in her room, trying to decide which the right one is.

_Dear diary, _

_Which way do I go? Following Stefan's advice is the sensible thing to do, I know that. I should do what they have sent me for and give Damon a happy, human life. I know that. And I know why they want to keep him from turning into a vampire. I, of all people, know how much damage one vampire Damon Salvatore can cause. Physically, and emotionally. I have not forgotten. Everybody thinks I have, but I never will. How could I? _

_I remember the way I felt about him, the first time we spoke. He was this mysterious new guy. More mature, witty, not to mention incredibly attractive. For once, he was interested in me, and not as a last resort. I felt special whenever his deep blue eyes looked at me, whenever he agreed to be seen in public with me. I thought I could fall for him, and maybe I did, just a little. In my defense, he made it ridiculously easy. It doesn't take away the bad though. I know how many times he fed on me, but that's not the worst part. I have forgiven that, because I understand. I have been fighting bloodlust every hour of every day and I have failed too many times already. Who am I to judge him for hurting me, someone he doesn't care about, when I bit Matt, who is the one person I never wanted to hurt? _

_What I thought I'd never forgive was the harsh words he told me, like that one time he called me stupid, shallow and useless. I never knew words had so much power before that day. They haunted me for a while. For weeks, I heard his voice in my head telling me that I'd never be more than the featherbrained blonde who knows how to select the right lipstick shade according to skin tone. Yes, he used me to get what he wanted. Yes, he tricked me into believing that he cared about me. Yes, that was a disgusting thing to do. A vampire, taking advantage of a defenseless, clueless human being. Don't I fit the same description right now? Here I am, faking feelings, giving this man hope that I'd like to marry him? I am disgusted with myself._

_I want to be better than that – better than he was. I want to believe that I'm more than what those witches have made of me. More than an obedient tool to take down the big evil vampire Damon. I've seen the person he was before Katherine broke his heart. Damon is as capable of goodness as anyone else. He deserves a second chance. Letting this opportunity go to waste will haunt me for the rest of my days. Forever. I am not sure I can live with that. Every time I smile at him, every time I flirt with him, I am killing him. Why would Stefan want me to do that? He was willing to sacrifice himself over to Klaus to get the cure to a werewolf bite. That was incredibly brave. I want to be brave, too. But I'm scared. He says there will be consequences if I disobey the orders. I wouldn't care if this were only about me. But I'm not alone. There's Mom, Matt, and Tyler. And Stefan. They need me to come home. _

_This is not fair. Why do I have to choose between Damon and the people I care about? He is one of them, now. How could it be otherwise? I have spent a month with him here, and he has shown me a side of him that I never thought existed. Well, I hoped it existed, I just didn't think it did. He is not the bitter person I'm used to; he doesn't feel the need to use attack as a defense. He loves his brother more than anything and I can't begin to tell how it makes my heart melt when I see Stefan and him having a laugh or hugging each other. When I look into his eyes, I see something that I can relate to. I truly believe that we are alike. I don't have words to explain it, but it's there, and that's all I need to know. _

_As for Vampire Damon, I think I understand him better now. Becoming a vampire has given me a different perspective on things – on him. I forgave him for what he has done to me. A little bit more every day and now, all my resentment is gone. He has had countless occasions to make the wrong choice and yet, he never failed again the way he failed with me. He could have killed me at the school carnival when he discovered that I was a vampire; he didn't. I know Stefan, Elena and Bonnie stopped him, but I also know that if he really wanted to stake me, he could have; he didn't. He could have killed my mother when she found out he was a vampire for the first time. He didn't. He could have let Klaus use me as the vampire in the sacrifice; he didn't. He could have saved only me and left Tyler there; he didn't. Something changed him. I am pretty sure that something is his love for Elena, and as twisted as it is to fall in love with his brother's girlfriend for the second time, who am I to judge love? _

_Damon deserves to be fought for. And I want to fight. But just because I don't have enough problems, Katherine will be here soon. I am scared of her. After all, she did press a pillow on my face until the point of my death. I've seen what she's made of Damon, what she did to John, to Jenna, to Aimee. She's the one the witches should take down. She's the reason of all this started in the first place. God, I hate her. I hate that I'll have to watch her seduce Stefan and turn him into a vampire, while I know how much he will hate himself for being a creature of the night. While I know that I could stop her. _

_There's so much that I just don't know. My head hurts from thinking so much about this. Which way do I go?_

Caroline puts down her quill and heaves a deep sigh. She is actually getting a killer headache. Isn't she supposed to be free of those, now that she's dead? Writing in this diary has helped her keep it together since Stefan visited her, but it's not enough. What she needs is someone to talk to; for the past two days, that someone has been Human Stefan. While she kept finding perfect excuses to avoid Damon, she has been spending time with his brother, the two of them held up in Giuseppe's study when the latter was busy in town. Just like his vampire self, this Stefan's presence is enough to soothe Caroline. Of course, she hasn't opened up to him completely. However, she asked his advice on how to make a crucial decision – he simply said that she should listen to her heart and do whatever feels right.

As for Damon, she has been finding excuses to avoid his presence. She can't be around him until she knows for sure what she is going to do. It would only take one of his heartfelt smiles to make her do something reckless. Because there's something she hasn't told Stefan; something she hasn't written in her diary. Caroline shakes her head, trying to shake off the disturbing thoughts in the process. She takes the quill again, determined to put those thoughts into words, in the foolish hope that later today, when she re-reads them, shame will take over her and erase any remainder of those…feelings.

_This is ridiculous. Thinking about him like that is ridiculous. Whether it's the human or vampire version of him, I should not think of him as more than someone who saved my life. I never thought I'd feel this way about him again. I'd like to blame it on the fact that I'm lonely here, but somehow I know it's deeper. He's such a gentleman; he comes up with a different way to compliment me every day, and he opens the doors for me. Isn't it how it always begins? With sweet nothings that turn into something more? _

_I can only imagine how confused he must feel. I am the one who flirted with him when he took me to the restaurant. I almost begged for him to kiss me and now I'm avoiding him. He must not understand. _

A sound from outside her bedroom catches her attention and she hurriedly hides the diary under her pillows. Dolores is coming and she's not alone: Damon is with her. Caroline barely suppresses a sigh; she can't talk to him right now. Then again, she already knows that he will not leave until she lets him in. So when the teenage girl asks if she'd like to speak with Damon, she says yes. For some reason, while the girl gets Damon, Caroline feels the need to check her reflection in the mirror, fix her hair into an elegant bun and pinch her cheeks so they look slightly pink. Before he knocks on her door, she is sitting in a chair, looking outside the window.

With her eyes closed, she inspires and expires deeply as she feels his presence behind her.

"Good day to you, M. Salvatore," she simply says.

"Hello, Caroline," Damon answers with a smile. "How are you today?"

"Quite tired, I must admit. I was just about to take a nap."

"Forgive my intrusion," he says, visibly not meaning a word of it. "But you haven't left your room in two days. Father is concerned."

A sudden burst of guilt overwhelms Caroline.

"I will join you three for supper tonight," she concedes, hoping that it'll be enough to make him leave. "The last thing I want is to cause worry to your father."

"Wonderful," Damon exclaims and she can hear the smile in his voice.

After just one second of silence, Damon speaks again.

"Dolores, give us a minute," he orders.

Caroline's eyes widen in surprise. Something has changed in his voice and she perfectly knows what that means. He didn't come here to talk about dinner, or because he's concerned with her health. Somehow, he knows that she is not feeling sick at all and he wants to talk about the kiss. She hasn't decided yet if she should carry on with that strategy or change it altogether: what is she going to tell him?

"I would like her to stay," she manages to get out quietly.

"Well, I have to confess that I am desperate to kiss you again, Caroline."

"Damon!" she exclaims, dismissing Dolores with an embarrassed wave of the hand.

The maid nods respectfully before striding out of the room. Caroline turns to face Damon, struggling to maintain a shocked expression.

"Be appropriate, for the love of God!"

"Isn't it appropriate for a man to want some time alone with his betrothed?" he asks innocently, visibly mocking her.

"However legitimate it is, you shouldn't talk like that in front of her," she says reproachfully. "What will she think? Servants talk, you know. You don't want everyone in Mystic Falls thinking I am a loose woman, do you?"

"I know you don't give much credit to what people think," he fires back at her with a smirk. "You have told me so yourself, remember?"

Caroline sighs. She did say that. When she doesn't answer, Damon sits on the bed, visibly much more at ease than the previous times he was in this room. He lets his hands wander on the sheets with an appreciative smile. Everything about him makes Caroline want to roll her eyes. He's so attractive, yet so annoying! She thinks she has made it obvious that she doesn't want him here, so why is he staying? Typical Damon.

"Is there something else I can do for you, Damon?"

"I told you," he chants playfully. "I'm desperate for a kiss."

He looks up to her with this glint in his eyes. She is fully clothed but she feels like he is slowly undressing her, only with his eyes. She unconsciously shivers and immediately blames herself for it because Damon has noticed and he seems to take that as an invitation. He gets up from the bed and walks towards her, slowly, deliberately – almost as if he wanted to leave her the space to escape if she wants to. And she wants to, really; but the part of her that longs for what's coming is stronger. Her body reacts to him, in ways that she can't explain and that she can't resist.

Damon brushes her cheek with the back of his hand and she is forced to hold his gaze. She sees such tenderness in his ocean blue eyes that her throat is suddenly constricted with fear. Fear to see that heartfelt smile turn into the bitter smirk that his unreciprocated love for Katherine will plaster on his face. This fear is what makes the decision for her. With a fake exasperated sigh, she puts her hand on his chest and pushes him away.

"Well, that doesn't happen to me very much," Damon says, his smile not flickering at all.

"Don't you think we're too old for these games, Damon?"

"Well, you started it. I'm not the one who begged for a kiss and ignored you for two days."

"You don't understand," she says. "I am terribly sorry, Damon. This is not about you. It's – it's me."

"Oh, I know," he says with a shrug. "I see things, Caroline. I don't say anything because I do not wish to put you in an uncomfortable position, but I see things."

If her heart were still beating, it would stop right now. She takes a deep breath to regain control of her emotions and fake a detached expression.

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you are talking about," she mumbles.

"Yes, you do. I know you are hiding something. When you're ready to tell me the truth, just know that I am ready to hear it. I can wait."

* * *

><p><em><strong>To those of you who thought Caroline would follow her own plan : clap clap ! You were right. Isn't she stubborn, our favorite Vampire Barbie? Also, can you believe that she might actually have feelings for Damon? Would you like to see more of her diary in the upcoming chapters? Erm, as promised, a Daroline scene - did you like it? I'm sure you hate me for not bringing in a kiss, don't you? What do you think Damon has found out? Tell me everything ! Next chapter: a Steroline moment, Katherine's arrival and another game-changer from Caroline ! <strong>_

_**- M. - **_

_**PS : Thank you all, just checked my story stats and we have officially reached the 10,000 hits on this story. I am so grateful.**_


	13. Here Comes Trouble

_Day Thirty Three -_ _Here comes trouble_

It is the middle of the afternoon and the new house guest, Katherine Pierce, should be here any minute, from what his father told Stefan earlier today. He is eager to meet her. Actually, since Damon officially began to court Caroline, Stefan has been thinking that he, too, would like to find someone. He read about love in so many books, so many poems. He knows, when he sees Damon looking at Caroline, that their love is like a flower – it is going to blossom and grow a little more every day. It makes him feel lonely. The arrival of another young woman couldn't happen at a more convenient time. In the meantime, he is once again in the library, browsing through different books.

After a knock on the door, Stefan looks up from the thick book he had been reading to find Caroline standing in the door frame. She is visibly troubled about something and he immediately frowns at the panicked look on her face. Ever since she got here, he has never seen her with anything but a smile on her face and so this is rather unsettling. She enters the library without a word and he notices that she came here without her maid. Slowly, she strides towards his chair and drops swiftly as his feet, gathering her skirts around her on the rich carpeting.

"You said I could come to you anytime," she states to justify her presence; she seems on the verge of tears.

Stefan simply nods, encouraging her to go on. He is not entirely comfortable with her sitting on the carpet, but she seems to feel better there than on a chair, so he decides to let it go. Taking a closer look at her, Stefan can tell that something is really wrong. Caroline never leaves her bedroom without looking absolutely breathtaking – she is quite coquettish and he has lost count of the times he had to wait for her while she got ready for one of their walks. But today, her hair is cascading on her shoulders quite erratically, and she looks tired, almost as if she hasn't slept the night before.

"Caroline? You want to tell me what's wrong?" he asks softly, lifting her chin to him with a finger. "Is it because you miss your family?"

"I do, but…it's about Damon."

Stefan internally sighs. He knew he would have this conversation with Caroline at some point. Seeing the way she reacted to the news of her and Damon being bound to marry, he was sure she should feel the need to talk to someone about it. He feels honored that she trusts him enough to come to him instead of keeping it all to herself. There is something about her that makes him want to protect her.

"I understand that it can be slightly sweltering to be pushed into a marriage."

Caroline simply nods, still trying to figure out how she can tell him about her problem without giving it all away. Actually, she isn't so sure why she came to him anymore.

"I know your aspirations differ from our fathers' but I can promise that Damon is the perfect match for you. If anyone can give you a life like the one you would have had in California, free from all of our nonsensical Southern traditions, it's him. Damon lives by his own rules, and I truly believe that he will not rush you into anything."

"Actually, that's not what it's about. Damon, he – he kissed me. I have been avoiding him ever since and now he thinks I'm hiding something."

She is biting nervously on her lower lip, not meeting his gaze. The perspective of Damon finding out that she is a vampire terrifies her. When he came to her the day before, he made it clear that he had a pretty good idea what her secret was. How could he know? She never fed when she was out with him – actually, except for the first few days, she waited for everyone in the household to be asleep, servants included, before she sneaked out of her bedroom to feed into the woods. With her vampire velocity, it barely took her twenty minutes to run to the forest, chase some animal, feed on it, and be back into her bed. She keeps asking herself what she did wrong and what consequences his finding out will have. This could ruin everything.

Stefan takes both her hands in his, holding them in the air between them. His smile is so warm that she returns it automatically. Calm in crisis, this is what she likes about him. While she gets emotional and freaks out, she can trust Stefan – whether human or vampire – to remain rational and responsible.

"Are you?"

"Yes," she admits after a few seconds of silence. "Every time we are together, I have to lie. And I hate it."

"Are you lying about the way you feel about him?" he asks, frowning slightly.

"No, I became very fond of him since I got here," she confesses. "He is a wonderful man. My…secret would more likely change the way he feels about me."

"Every woman has a secret garden, Caroline. Damon knows that. If you wish to tell me, I promise I'll keep it to myself."

Caroline looks intently at Stefan. His light eyes are filled with concern, even though he is smiling at her. That's something she never thought about. She could tell him the truth; if anyone can handle it, it's Stefan. He is always telling her to listen to her heart – right now, her heart is begging her to off-load this onto him.

"You can trust me," he adds.

"If I tell you, everything will be different. You won't ever look at me the way you are, now."

"Please, Caroline," Stefan laughs a little. "Nothing you can say will make me see you differently."

"Tell me what you see when you look at me, Stefan," she asks, abruptly changing the subject.

If he is taken aback, he doesn't let it show. His hold on her hands gets softer and his thumbs start drawing circles, then squares, then different shapes on the back of her hands. It's soothing, relaxing. She likes it. It's Stefan's turn to observe her carefully, as if the answer to her question was written somewhere on her face.

"Your eyes, they remind me of my mother's," Stefan says after a moment of silence. "Father says you are a lot like her. She was fierce, just like you. She never let anyone tell her what she had to do."

"I am sure your mother was nothing like the stubborn, tactless person I am."

"I wouldn't say stubborn. You are a strong woman, who draws her own path, oblivious to what society demands of her. I also see that you will be the wife every man can dream of, isn't that right?" Stefan says, looking at something above Caroline's head.

"I wouldn't have said it better myself," Damon says, causing her to jolt.

Stefan smiles at his brother, not letting go of Caroline's hands. He doesn't seem bothered to have been caught in this unlikely position, saying such things to his brother's "girlfriend". As Damon gets closer to them, Caroline holds on tighter to Stefan, letting him know that she doesn't want to be left alone with Damon.

"Miss Caroline is slightly worried about Miss Pierce's arrival," Stefan lies obnoxiously. "I was trying to reassure her. Certainly you can do better than I have, brother."

"Certainly," Damon fires back, causing Caroline to frown at his cold tone. "Speaking of, I think the carriage is coming. Obviously, Father is not here to take care of her."

Stefan gets to his feet, helping Caroline to do so at the same time. The blonde fixes her skirts and curses herself for not doing her hair properly earlier. Katherine will be here soon and Caroline knows that Katherine Pierce likes to make an entrance; she will, without a doubt, look wonderful. It only makes Caroline feel more inadequate. However, she manages to plaster an enthusiastic smile on her face.

"It is time to welcome our new houseguest, then!"

Stefan nods and offers his arm to her. Damon makes a disapproving noise and puts a restraining hand on Caroline's arm when she reaches him, causing her to shiver. He takes his time to lead her back into the closest chair.

"Why don't we let my brother take care of this," Damon suggests. "While he shows the new girl around, I can have you all to myself."

"But, this- it's not…" she starts, taken aback.

"Damon," Stefan warns, rushing to Caroline's aid. "Father requested that _we_ welcome Miss Pierce."

"Yes, it would be rude beyond compare to stay hidden here," Caroline adds, even though she's not entirely displeased with the idea.

"Exactly. That will give him a valuable reason to be upset with me, for a change," Damon says defiantly.

"You are truly impossible, brother," Stefan sighs, hurrying outside of the library.

Before he closes the door behind him, Stefan turns around and mouths an apology to Caroline, which she accepts with a nod. Silence settles inside of the library as Caroline looks outside the window. Three of the servants are already outside the front door, waiting for the carriage to stop so they can pick up the luggage and put it into Katherine's room. From where she is, Caroline doesn't see much of Stefan but she notices that he has put on his light brown coat and if she listens attentively, she can hear that his heart is beating fast in his chest. She rolls her eyes – Katherine already has power over him and he has never even seen her face yet. When the carriage finally comes to a halt, the man who escorts Caroline every time she's headed to town – his name is Jeffrey – steps forwards to help a petite dark-skinned woman out of it. Caroline immediately identifies her to be Emily Bennett. She smiles a little, thinking about Bonnie – the two women share more than just the family traits; they both inspire respect.

However, Caroline doesn't have much time to muse about the resemblance between Emily and Bonnie. Katherine is getting out of the carriage and damn it, she looks absolutely wonderful. She is wearing an elegant gown and the only thing that Caroline notices is how Katherine lets her eyes travel up and down Stefan's body appreciatively. The second she does that, it's like Stefan is drawn to her. He comes down the steps just a little too eagerly. He nods to the young woman.

"You must be Miss Pierce," Stefan says respectfully, holding out his hand to her.

"Please," she says. "Call me Katherine".

Caroline rolls her eyes as she watches Katherine curtsey to Stefan. No wonder the Salvatores were all mesmerized by that girl. It's the way she talks to men, with that deep voice, detaching every word. Caroline, of all people, knows that kind of tactics. While she thought she was a master at it, in just ten seconds, Katherine has proven her wrong. Caroline groans in frustration. Almost immediately, Katherine's eyes look up, straight to her. The blonde gasps and shuts the curtain, turning her attention back to Damon.

"Did she see you?" he asks in a sing-song voice.

"Maybe. Why would you care? You didn't even want to give her a proper greeting."

"Well, I'll make her feel very welcome. I am glad that Stefan finally has someone other than you to keep him company."

"What makes you think I'd like that? I like spending time with your brother."

"Oh, I have noticed," he says bitterly. "That, at least, is a secret for no one."

Caroline frowns at that. She's not used to him talking like this, especially not about his brother. She doesn't like the tone he is using. After all, she might as well have this conversation once and for all, and get it over with. She decides to regain control of the situation immediately.

"Damon, I do not like the tone you are using with me. What happened to the courteous, polite young man that took me to the restaurant?"

"He's still in there, somewhere. It's up to you to bring him back," he says.

"Look, if you have something you want to tell me, go on. We can discuss this like adults."

"Tell me the truth. I want to hear it from you."

Caroline feels more and more oppressed as he walks in circles around her, almost like a predator. This situation is more than uncomfortable and she has to struggle to fight back her natural instinct to vamp out and growl defensively at him.

"I won't be angry, Caroline," he pushes. "I have told you, I will wait for you to want me, too. But you must give me a fair chance to show you that I am the right man for you."

"I-I don't understand. What are we discussing here?"

Damon throws a bitter smile at her.

"You know, Stefan has always been Father's favorite. Ever since we were kids. I got used to it."

"Giuseppe loves you, Damon, I know he does. But you have to admit that you're not making it easy for him to show you that."

"I agree, but hear me out. Imagine my surprise when Father told us that you were here to marry me. I always thought he would find a bride for Stefan first, because it is likely my brother will remain in Mystic Falls and succeed my father. It's not what he wants, but that's the right thing to do so he'll do it. That's who he is, Stefan. He does the right thing, every time."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asks, quite confused.

"When we were kids, I took the blame for his mistakes and I took the punishment for him. When he was bullied at school, I went and beat up boys who were twice the size of me. I love my brother, Caroline. I love him deeply. He is full of qualities and I wish more than anything that he finds a woman to spend the rest of his life with."

"Damon, why are you telling me this?" she repeats, slightly alarmed. "I don't understand!"

"Because I refuse to let you be that woman. I refuse to share you with him. So, like I told you before, I need you to give me a fair chance to prove that I can be right for you."

So that's what this was all about? Her spending time with Stefan? Caroline can't help it – she laughs. She laughs like she has not laughed in months. Loudly, heartedly. She laughs at herself for even thinking that he knew she was a vampire. She laughs at her sleepless night about it. But more than anything, she laughs at the stupidest thing she has ever heard in a long while. He thinks she is hooking up with Stefan behind his back!

"You are laughing," he points out coldly. "There's nothing to laugh about."

"I-I'm s-sorry, Damon," she manages to get out between roars of laughter. "So, so sorry."

The blue-eyed human folds his arms on his chest impatiently, waiting for her to get a hold of herself. It takes five minutes and a glass of water to make her quiet again. She is sitting on a chair, with her head between her hands, running her hands through her hair over and over again. Damon doesn't understand her reaction; he really doesn't see what is so funny.

"Are you done?" he asks when she finally stops laughing.

"Forgive me, Damon. I did not mean to mock you, but you are completely mistaken. Stefan is my friend. Nothing more. I would never do that to you."

For a second, she can see in his eyes that he is processing her words. She decides to break her new rules for a moment to reassure him. She takes a few steps closer to him and kneels at his feet. She knows him – she knows that behind the self-confident man, there's a little boy whose wounds from the past are still beneath the surface. He said it himself, Stefan has been always been Giuseppe's favorite. You don't need to take a PhD in psychology to know that this conflicted relationship with his father and the inherent competition with his brother will shape Damon's life. She puts her hands on Damon's and smiles at him.

"I am alone here, and I miss my family, especially my brother. Stefan fills that void for me. We read together, wander in the woods, and talk about philosophy, but nothing else. Do you understand?"

"I do."

It is plain to see that he is not totally convinced. Yes, he believes her when she says there is nothing going on with Stefan, but he still thinks there is something she's hiding. Caroline sees an opportunity to start implementing her new strategy. Stefan told her, she is the kind of woman who draws her own path. It begins now.

"Something has been bothering me, though," she finally says. "I need you to do something for me."

"Tell me," he says, impatient to know. "You know I won't deny you anything."

"Even though you thought I was secretly dating your brother?"

"I care about you," he simply says as an explanation.

"Why do you always fall for those who can't love you back, Damon?" she whispers to herself.

Caroline lets silence settle in once again, paying attention to what's going on outside of the room. Katherine is still talking with Stefan and Emily Bennett is getting acquainted with Dolores. Giuseppe hasn't returned from town yet. Damon clears his throat loudly, bringing her back into the room with him. Caroline gets to her feet and puts her hands behind her back, trying to look as detached as she can. She starts pacing around the room, just like he did a few minutes ago.

"I am sure you will agree with me if I say that you can't know if a pair of shoes fit unless you try them on."

"Yes," he says, frowning.

"And you will agree if I say that you can't decide which shirt fits better unless you try on both."

"Caroline, where are we going with this?" he pushes, quite annoyed.

"Well, if we follow this logic, you can't know if someone is the one for you unless you…expand your research, am I right?"

"You have me confused. What are you saying? That you want to be with someone else?"

"What I am saying is, you should get to know Miss Pierce better."

Damon's jaw drops. When Caroline explains to him that she is not such a big fan of sharing either, he feels compelled to point out how inconsistent that is with throwing him in the arms of another woman. But she insists, saying that she wants to make sure that he will be faithful to her until death does them apart.

"You have seen her through the window, haven't you?" she asks, and he answers with a grunt of approval. "She is quite beautiful, isn't she?"

"I haven't noticed," he says nonchalantly.

"You're lying, Damon. I want you to spend some time alone with her. If you can resist her charms, I will marry you."

Damon simply rolls his eyes at her and shakes his head. Caroline claps her hands delightfully - she knows she has won. He'll do what she says, because for some reason, he really can't deny her anything. And she knows that he will not resist Katherine's charms so things are really working out great.

* * *

><p><em><strong>This is it! Damon got mistaken about a friendship, Katherine has already got Stefan under her spell and Caroline has made the decision, she will NOT follow the witches' plan. Thoughts? Next chapter is almost exclusively Steroline, so look out for clues about what's going to happen at the beginning of this chapter. And, erm - be prepared for something unexpected. You've been warned, my lovelies !<strong>_

_**- M. - **_


	14. Game On

_Day Forty One - Game On_

It's been a week since Katherine made her big entrance at the Salvatore house. The two women have barely spoken a word to each other, as Caroline still hasn't gotten over the fear that the older vampire inspires her. She has been observing her with the greatest attention, though. Things have changed, now. Caroline is not the center of attention anymore. Katherine is. This is a very unusual situation – Caroline Forbes certainly isn't used to being in the shadows. But everything about Katherine outshines her: the way she speaks, the way she walks, the way she laughs. Having lived through so many years, Katherine is an expert at cheating, lying and deceiving; Caroline has learnt a lot from her.

She now knows that she must walk one step ahead from Dolores when the two are seen in public, for example. She has learnt how to carry herself properly around Giuseppe Salvatore – Katherine always treats him with much deference. At supper every evening, Katherine never forgets to throw in a casual compliment in the conversation. Actually, Katherine is initiating most of the conversations at the dinner table now; Giuseppe and Stefan seem to be very fond of her. If she's being honest, Caroline believes that Giuseppe would love to pair Katherine and Stefan. It makes her sick to her stomach because she can tell that Stefan would not object. Not to mention, that would be very inconvenient for her little master plan.

Speaking of which, Caroline has conflicted feelings now. She's not exactly having second thoughts, because she knows she has made the right decision, but she is worried. Worried that Damon won't indulge her (even though he has already started spending time with Katherine and talking to her), worried that the witches will stop her, worried that she ruins everything. She is alone in this and maybe she's wrong, but from what she sees, from what she knows – this is the best solution for everyone. She is still in the process of convincing herself but when she wakes up that morning, the awful weight on her stomach is gone. She hasn't felt so good since she got here – if you forget about Katherine, of course.

Caroline is wondering if she couldn't do something about her attitude towards Katherine. As unfair as it is that the witches want to punish Human Damon for the mischiefs his vampire self will or won't accomplish in the future, it makes no sense to resent Katherine for what she will or will not do in a century and a half. And so she is thinking that maybe she could try to get over her resentment and have a friendly conversation with Katherine. Because, in a very twisted way, having Katherine here makes Caroline feel less lonely. While she is the last person on Earth that Caroline wishes to be friends with, there is something reassuring about her presence. Both of them are playing the same part; both of them need to conceal a whole side of their personality to the men they live with. Both of them are here on a secret agenda. So she is thinking, maybe, she could make a move. Maybe.

It's another sunny Sunday in Mystic Falls and Caroline is thinking that she could take a walk with Stefan, later. She has not seen him much since Katherine's arrival and she wants to make sure that he doesn't get too attached to the newcomer. Actually, if Damon decides to play along, Caroline feels like it's her role to make Stefan feel less lonely – it's obvious that he has already developed feelings towards Katherine and since she's technically the one taking her away from him, she must do something to make that better. She has been hearing conversations, lately – tense conversations between the two brothers. Stefan is concerned that Damon spending time with Katherine will upset Caroline and make her change her mind about the possible marriage. She has learned a lot from these conversations. For example, that Human Damon is as much of a womanizer as his vampire self. Stefan used to find it entertaining to have his older brother telling him about his several adventures with the women of Mystic Falls (which include some waitress at the Mystic Tavern, one of their servants, and several others), but the youngest Salvatore now advices Damon to put this troubled past behind him and focus exclusively on Caroline. From what he says, she is the reason why Giuseppe is softer with Damon. She is the one thing the two men can come to an agreement about and Stefan is upset to see Damon jeopardize this by openly flirting with Katherine.

Caroline knows there must be some jealousy hiding behind Stefan's concern, but she also knows that he is being a friend to her, here. He wants to protect her from having her heart broken and she is grateful for that. Having someone looking out for her is comforting. So she will do her best to help Stefan get over the feelings he might already have for Katherine. It's with that idea in mind that she joins the rest of them for lunch. Katherine is already there, sitting between the brothers. Caroline bits back a snarky comment and sits next to Giuseppe, who, as usual, welcomes her warmly. She regrets not having enough time to get to know him, especially when she sees that Katherine, on the other hand, had no trouble asking him to teach her crocket. Caroline has turned down Giuseppe's invitations so far, but she thinks next time he asks, she'll say yes. She'll keep an eye on Katherine, and try to talk to her a little bit. It can only be good.

"Good day to you all," Caroline says with a polite smile as she sits.

"Hello, Miss Jones," Katherine returns cheerfully. "It is a delightful day, don't you think?"

"Certainly, Miss Pierce," Caroline answers dryly, although she meant to be nice. "What has everyone planned for the afternoon?"

Giuseppe has some business in town, yet again. Caroline is starting to get suspicious about his frequent days out of the house. Honestly, it scares her because she has been feeding in the woods every night, and leaving the dead animals where she found them because she doesn't have enough time to bury the carcasses. Not to mention that Katherine is here, and feeding on humans. Caroline wonders if the Council has already been created, if they are suspecting anything about the presence of vampires.

As for Stefan and Damon, they haven't decided yet. Caroline sees an opportunity here and smiles politely at Katherine.

"You and Emily should take a walk around the estate. It is beautiful, you will like it."

"Absolutely. I would love it if you joined us."

Caroline can tell that Katherine is lying; but she does it so well. If she didn't know that the woman sitting in front of her was a psychotic bitch, she would fall for it, head over heels. There is something in the way Katherine lies to everyone's face – with so much confidence – that makes it impossible to doubt what she says.

"Actually, I am feeling tired. I was thinking I could stay indoors. I'd love it if you kept me company, Stefan."

"Of course, Miss Caroline," the latter answers, hiding his vexation the best he can.

"But Damon here could walk with you," Caroline says to Katherine. "I promise you will have a wonderful time with him."

"Erm, actually," Damon starts but Caroline cuts him off.

"Weren't you telling me just yesterday that you would fancy some time with Miss Pierce?" she insists, looking him in the eye.

Caroline knows that she should let things happen, but she is running out of patience so maybe she compels him, just a little bit. Completely unwillingly, of course.

"I would like that, indeed," he says mechanically, before he turns to Katherine with a charming smile. "It will be a pleasure to escort you to town, Miss Pierce. I believe you have a friend here, running the apothecary? We could visit her, if you like."

Katherine's gaze goes from Caroline to Damon, then from Damon to Caroline again. She lifts her cup of tea to her lips and Caroline knows that her heart would be racing if it were still beating. Maybe she shouldn't have compelled Damon. Maybe Katherine can tell. Probably.

"I'd like to visit Pearl, indeed, Damon. Thank you for suggesting it. And thank you, Caroline, for letting me steal him from you," she says under her breath and Caroline pretends she didn't hear.

"Then it's all settled!" Caroline exclaims, clapping her hands in delight. "You two have a great time together!"

The blonde asks to be excused and retires to her bedchamber, leaving the four others slightly astounded. Giuseppe wonders why Caroline would be so at ease with the idea of her fiancé spending time alone with another unmarried woman, not even bothering to send her maid with them. He thought she'd be more of the jealous type. As far as he knows, things between his eldest son and his future wife are good. Sometimes, late at night, he can hear them laughing together; he sees them having picnics on the Estate and they are often out shopping in town. He couldn't be happier about this situation. He never thought Damon would follow his advice but this relationship with Caroline gives Giuseppe hope – hope that his son will eventually make the right choices. So no, he doesn't understand what's going on, but he thinks it's just another game that kids play these days and he should stay out of it.

Katherine doesn't know what this is about either, but she will not turn down an opportunity to spend time with Damon. Since she got here, he has been spending most of his time with the blonde, addressing her only when they met for meals. She has to admit that she felt slightly offended – she is not used to men being indifferent to her, or worse in Damon's case, avoiding her. The fact that he is almost engaged to Caroline is no excuse; she has had married men begging for her company before. However, she has seen the look between Caroline and Damon, and she thinks she should get to the bottom of that. She will, later. She just got here, and for now, she wants to have some fun. Forget everything she is running from. Stop being careful and suspicious every second of every day. It could cost her life, but she feels like Damon is just the person to give her a little bit of carelessness. He seems to be an epicurean, just like her. It will be fun.

As for Damon, even though he is still confused about why he accepted this when he meant to decline, his smile returns soon enough. Given, he can't seem to understand why Caroline would submit him to such temptation. Given, he knows this is a tricky predicament and he'd better not mess up or he'll lose her and his father's approval both. But he has been doing some thinking of his own. If Caroline wants to play, then he'll play. He intends on having such a wonderful time with Katherine today (and the day after that, and the day after that) that Caroline will realize that he is a catch and that she should not let him out of her sight for too long. So it's with a satisfied smile on his lips that he leaves the room, promising Katherine that he will be back in ten minutes to leave with her.

Stefan is the only one who seems slightly distraught about this. Before she rushes up the stairs, Caroline turns around and catches a glimpse of his sad face. He waits until he's out of everyone's sight and heaves a deep sigh. It makes her feel terrible but she keeps telling herself that it's for the best. That's what he would do if the situation was reversed. That's what "her" Stefan would do.

An hour later, she meets him in Giuseppe's study. This is her and Stefan's sanctuary; the only place in this house where she can speak (almost) safely, without any fear of judgment. Her friend is, as usual, lost in the reading of a book. She guesses Shakespeare, because Shakespeare is Stefan's very favorite. The young man is obviously upset about something; his eyes seem to stumble over a word or two at every line he reads and every time, his forehead gets creased with another frown line.

"Sorry for interrupting," she says softly, making her way into the room.

He smiles at her; a very little, very polite smile. Caroline bites on her lower lip when he plunges back into his reading. It's the first time silence has felt so heavy; you could cut the tension with a knife in this room. Stefan seems less comfortable with her than usual and she can't help but feel slightly jealous. She has heard him laugh with Katherine on their walks around the estate. It's like Katherine brings out a side of him that she has never had access to and it's more than upsetting. She thought they were close; closer than that.

"You look like you'd rather be somewhere else," she points out disappointedly.

"I always enjoy your company, Miss Caroline."

"What's with the 'Miss Caroline' these days? It's so…formal."

"I apologize. I just have something on my mind."

"You've been a true friend to me, always listening when I needed you to. Let me return the favor," she offers.

She prays that he has had a fight with Damon; she prays that his father has pressured him about the succession – anything but Katherine. She isn't sure she can handle that just yet, being the one taking her away from him, lying to him, yet again. She knows she'll do it, if that's what it takes; she just doesn't know how she'll live with that.

"Are you in love with my brother?" Stefan asks abruptly, taking her off guard.

"Why would you ask me that question?" she counters, trying to buy some time.

"I want to know what it feels like, to love somebody."

He looks very boyish with that embarrassed look on his face. He is fiddling with the sleeves of his shirt and her sensitive eyes can see the rosy shade his cheeks have taken. Her natural instinct is to reach out to hug him, but he might just freak out on her again. Then, she thinks about his question. What does love feel like?

"How could I explain something like this?"

"If you don't mind me asking, tell me how you feel when you are with Damon."

He gestures towards the chair next to him, like he has done many times before. His green eyes lock with hers and she finds warmth there – she had missed that feeling. For a long moment, she tries to find words for such a complicated mix of feelings. And then, does she feel that way about Damon? She pushes the thought away even though she has a pretty good idea of what the truth is.

"Is this about Katherine?" she asks the most nonchalantly that she can and hoping against hope that he'll say no.

"Maybe," he says playfully. "Does it matter?"

"Maybe," she mumbles.

"You don't like her very much," he observes disappointedly.

"It's not that I don't like her," Caroline lies. "She is…different."

"You're different," he says with a genuine smile. "Different is good."

Caroline frowns. How can she object to that? She's the one who has been running around advertising the advantages of being different. She smiles at him and gets up from the chair, turning her back on him. She is still avoiding answering Stefan's questions, even though his words are haunting her. _Are you in love with my brother? _ Truth be told, as much as she got to know him, he got to know her, and he can see that she is deflecting. So he decides to speak up and confide in her about his feelings for the newcomer. For some reason that Caroline can't wrap her head around, the attraction that Stefan feels towards Katherine is not only physical. She would have understood desire, lust, pure carnal instinct, but that…

"She is breathtaking, but there is more to her than her beauty. She reminds me of you," he confesses.

"You think I'm breathtaking? You like her because she reminds you of me?" she asks quickly, causing him to laugh softly.

"Tell me what love feels like," he insists, careful to leave Damon's name out of it, this time.

After a moment's hesitation, the words rush out of her mouth, almost faster than she can say them. She tells him about the butterflies in one's stomach every time you catch a glimpse of the loved one, about the way your eyes look for them everywhere, about the feeling of your entire body melting at their most innocent touch. She tells him about the way you always want to impress your loved one, about the way every song, every book reminds you of them. She tells him about the way their name resounds in your head when you're lying in the dark. She tells him you don't need words when you are with the person you love.

She doesn't leave out the bad, though; she doesn't sugarcoat anything. She tells him love is both the best and the worst feeling in the world. She tells him that love makes you weak, that it allows the other person to break you with a single word. She tells him that when you love someone, you can lose yourself and be so far gone that you can't come back. She tells him that love brings insecurity, jealousy, pain and anxiety. She tells him that unreciprocated love hurts more than words can say.

"What does it feel like, when you kiss someone you love?"

"There are no words for that, Stefan. You'll have to experience it for yourself."

Stefan gets up from his chair and joins her at the other end of the room. For the first time, it's him who initiates a physical contact; with her back turned on him, Caroline feels his hands resting on her shoulders and she sucks in a sharp breath, surprised. His skin is warm against hers and she can't remember if she had coffee for breakfast this morning; she hopes he won't notice if she's too cold. She shivers but stays still, unsure of what is happening here. One thing is certain, the man in this room with her is nothing like the shy Stefan she met forty one days ago. Another thing is certain, she is nothing like the careless girl he met forty one days ago and so she sees how inappropriate this is. All of it – his hands on her shoulders, his head resting against hers, their breaths coming out in sync.

"Can you keep a secret?" Stefan whispers. "And promise me that when we walk out this door, everything will be the same between us?"

The one question that she can answer truthfully, and he asks it. She laughs a little. It sounds so absurd to hear him voice what she has wanted to ask him for so long.

"I can keep many secrets, Stefan."

The young man takes in a deep breath and spins her around slowly, with the gentleness that characterizes him in her eyes. Stefan lets his hands go from her shoulders to her cheeks, putting away a strand of blonde hair in the process. His lips are curved into a sweet smile that makes her undead heart melt. Slowly, he lowers his head and drops a kiss on her cheek. His lips linger there and Caroline briefly leans into the touch. She can't really say she's surprised when he gives her a chaste kiss on the lips. He searches for any sign of uneasiness in her blue eyes, but finds none. His smile returns.

"I had to know," he whispers, like an apology.

"Well?" she says, trying to forget about the knot in her stomach.

"There are really no words," he whispers, his voice quite hoarse. "I could have loved you, Caroline."

She closes her eyes briefly, trying to fight the conflicting emotions that are overwhelming her. She knows that he could have loved her. She knows that she could have loved him back, in an ideal world where they would both know how to love what's good for them. But this is the real world, even if a hundred and something years before her time – the real world in which they seem to have a tendency to self-destruction. When their eyes meet again, hers are watery.

"We would have been wonderful, you and me," she says, her throat constricted with emotion.

"You're one of those women, Caroline. You will be wonderful, whatever you do."

Once again, he leans in towards her. This time, he kisses her forehead gently, and she can sense the difference with what happened a few seconds ago. It's like he is letting go of the possibility that she represents. When he lets go of her, the moment is over; the possibility is gone. They both know they won't ever go back there and they both know why: they would have been great together, but they wouldn't have been epic, because their hearts belong to other people.

It's not long before Stefan confides in her about how upsetting it is for him to see Damon and Katherine spending time together. It scares him, because Damon is handsome and he knows how to talk to women; Damon is self-confident and quite a charmer. Stefan simply doesn't see why Caroline allows that.

"You kissed me, Stefan."

"And you promised it wouldn't change anything," he reminds her.

"It won't," she assures him with a patient smile. "You kissed me, and you felt something. Yet, you know that your feelings for Katherine are stronger. That's how men work. Damon is no different."

"The idea that he might kiss her makes me so angry," he confesses with a helpless shrug. "Angrier than I have ever felt before. How can you not be angry?"

"I am," she lies and she feels like she has ruined this moment. "But I must let him go so he can come back."

"So you think he will come back to you?" Stefan asks, full of hope.

"I know he will," she lies again. "Now if you'll excuse me, Stefan, I must go."

She gets to her feet before he can object and swiftly closes the study's door behind her. When she is sure that nobody is near, she super-speeds to her bedroom and slides to the floor against the door. It's like she can't breathe – like her lies are suffocating her.

* * *

><p><em><strong>I did promise you something unexpected, right? How 'bout Katherine and Damon starting to hand out? Nah? Okay, how about a Steroline so-called meaningless kiss, uh? But eh, no big deal: he loves Katherine obviously. Wasn't that the sweetest moment, though?<strong>_

_**Next chapter is the turning point in the story - there will be a lot of scenes that we have already seen on TVD S1 and S2 from 1864. Although I will re-write them to fit into the story. **__**Also, purely trivia : there will be 16 more chapters to this. I have started writing the end already !**_

_**- M. -**_


	15. Double or Quits

Day Forty Six - _Double or Quits_

Contradiction.

This is the best word to describe Caroline's state of mind of the past three days. The "Stefan episode", like she calls it, has been on her mind constantly. Why it happened, what it meant – it stirred up things that she had buried deep. She constantly thinks about the moments they shared and wonders how they got to this – kissing, and admitting they had feelings for each other. Feelings that they won't act on because Stefan is falling in love with Katherine and her? Well, she is slowly coming to the realization that she might have stronger feelings for Damon than she cares to admit. A sum of small details have led her to this conclusion – as if she needed evidence other than the way it made her feel to witness how fast Damon and Katherine are growing closer.

When they came back from their jaunt the other day, they stayed around the estate all afternoon, too caught up in their conversation to care for anyone else. She felt her heart cringe as she heard the cascading sound of Katherine endlessly laughing to Damon's jokes. She tried to suppress her annoyance as Damon's voice grew deep and flirtatious when he addressed the other vampire.

"_Katherine, I am certain you had an awful lot of suitors back in Atlanta."_

"_I will not refute that. I could say the same about you, but I see that, unlike myself, you have managed to make a choice."_

"_Things can change," he purred, causing Katherine to giggle childishly._

She should be thrilled. After all, she carefully planned for this to happen. But there it comes, the contradiction. The feeling is wrong, but Caroline feels like she is watching from the outside as her life unfolds and goes on without her. It's like she is watching Katherine take everything away from her. The older vampire is splitting her time between Stefan and Damon, just like Caroline did when she got here. The two men respond with equal enthusiasm to Katherine's frequent solicitations. The worst part? Caroline can't even be angry about it. She used to think of Katherine as a whore for dating both brothers, but now that she has found herself in the middle of that compelling love triangle, she has a different perspective on things. How can she be pissed at Katherine for being seduced by Damon when she is falling for him herself? How can she blame Katherine for loving Stefan when she admitted she could have felt the same way? If she has learnt anything from this situation, it's that she shouldn't be so judgmental.

"Caroline? Caroline, are you with me?" Damon's voice brings her back.

They are having one of their "midnight moments". It was Damon's idea. He barely notices her anymore, although he makes a priority to spend a few minutes with her every day, to tell her about the things he does with Katherine, the books she likes, her life in Atlanta. Hence, the midnight moments. They meet in his bedroom when everyone else is asleep – his bedroom, because he has a balcony and he figured Caroline would enjoy the view. She does.

Most of the time, she pretends to listen to him going on about Katherine when she is really getting lost in the wonderful view. Damon's balcony overlooks the back on the Salvatore property – the gardens, the fountain. She always lets her eyes wander through the maze, trying the find the shortest way to the fountain. Katherine knows the way – she plays tag with Stefan.

"Caroline?" Damon repeats, putting a hand on her arm, this time.

She shakes off her cloudy thoughts and smiles at him.

"Forgive me, Damon. You were saying?"

"I was saying that you might want to reconsider your plans. I think Miss Pierce likes me. She's nice."

"Oh yeah, she's nice enough," Caroline snorts, causing Damon to chuckle.

"You sound jealous," he sing-songs. "You have every reason to be."

The blonde rolls her eyes at his cocky smile. God, how he annoys her sometimes! She looks at him, feeling slightly tempted to close the distance between them and silence him with a kiss. She's been longing for another kiss – aching for it. Ever since that day at the bridge, she has been thinking about it. Sometimes, she feels like his lips are still pressing onto hers and her entire body ignites. Once again, she shrugs it off.

"Why would I be jealous? Did anything happen that you're not telling me?"

"Not really," he says, making it clear that he is lying.

"Damon!"

He laughs at her, very satisfied to see that his plan is working. She is jealous and he is certain that it won't take long before she asks him to stop talking to Katherine altogether. All he has to do is push her just a little more. Women never want a man who's not wanted by other women, he knows that. He could call it off right now and tell her that Katherine is indeed a lovely lady and that he would have fallen for her in different circumstances – if he wasn't already in love with her. He could tell her, but this is so much fun. Somehow, he wants to punish her for pushing him away. He'll wait until she is crazy with jealousy, until she wants him so much that she'll forbid him to talk to Katherine ever again, until she begs him to be with her.

"I am joking," he says truthfully when he sees that she is upset.

Caroline doesn't want to let it go. She grabs him by the shoulders and looks him in the eyes.

"Tell me the truth," she instructs him, shamelessly using compulsion. "Did you or did you not kiss her?"

"I did not kiss her," he answers in an expressionless voice, earning a sigh of relief from Caroline. "But I am tempted. She is painfully attractive."

Caroline grits her teeth; it stings. She knows she will regret the question she is about to ask, but she asks it anyway.

"Does she attract you more than me?"

"She – she is very straightforward."

"Answer the question, Damon. Do you want her more than me?"

"I am not sure."

She takes in a deep breath, unsure of how to react to that. She doesn't know, she can't think. She is panicking and so she does the first thing that comes to her mind, even though it's despicable and wrong and even though she'll feel guilty about it for weeks.

"I am going to leave. You will not remember this conversation. I wasn't here tonight, do you understand?"

"I understand," he answers blankly.

Caroline storms to her bedchamber shortly after Damon's confession. She can't concentrate, she feels too nauseous. She's not sure that vampires can feel nauseous. After a few more minutes trying to forget Damon's warm words about Katherine, she decides to undress and get ready for bed. Dolores has laid out her nightgown, as usual.

As soon as she locks her door, she sits in front of the mirror. For some reason, she feels irrepressibly drawn to it. She quickly understands why when her reflection starts to turn into Bonnie's face. Caroline instantly feels her eyes watering – a familiar, non-hostile face is exactly what she needed. However, when she sees the severe look on Bonnie's face, she frowns. The young witch seems exhausted; she has dark rings under her eyes. More than anything, Caroline wishes she could get inside of the mirror and wrap her best friend into a tight embrace.

"We haven't spoken in weeks and you show up looking at me like that? I'm in trouble," Caroline sighs.

"Yes, you are. I've been watching you, and I don't understand what you're doing."

"What do you mean?" Caroline shrugs, trying to deflect.

"The witches are mad. They feel like you're trying to cross them."

Caroline can't say she is surprised. For some reason, she was expecting this conversation, but she thought she'd be having it with Stefan, which would have made things easier. He would have understood. Unlike Bonnie, Stefan is actually on her side. On Damon's.

"I am just trying to make a point here," Caroline lies. "He will come back to me and then, they'll know that he can make the good decisions. They'll see he deserves a second chance."

"You used to be a better liar, you know. Caroline, I see where you're going with this, but," Bonnie starts, but the blonde cuts her off.

"No! You and your witches, you say you're here to keep things in balance but this is about revenge. They want to take down the big bad vampire for things that the man I know hasn't done yet! How fair is this?"

"You're right, it's not fair, but it's not my decision," Bonnie admits sadly.

"You have to convince them to at least let me try. If you don't do it for him, do it for me", Caroline begs.

"No," the witch simply says with tears in her eyes.

_Did she just say no to me? _Caroline folds her arms against her chest and looks right into Bonnie's eyes. She can feel the witch's unconscious shiver of uneasiness.

"Then send me back and find someone else for your dirty work! I don't want any part in this. I am not going to do what they want when I know it'll kill him."

"You are here on _their_ terms, Caroline. Either you do what they sent you for, or you stay here. Forever."

The words hit Caroline straight in the face. She sucks in a sharp breath. She looks at Bonnie in that mirror and all she sees is cold determination. Not a trace of the emotion there was in her friend's eyes while they were all by Damon's death bed. Forty three days have changed Bonnie like that. Probably now that they don't have to deal with Damon in 2011, they have all noticed how life is easier without him around. So they've just decided to give up on him. Because it's easier.

"Who are you?" she asks Bonnie incredulously. "What have you done to the girl who promised Damon that she'd save him? I was here, you know, I heard. I should have known you didn't mean it, you've always hated Damon."

"You can't say that to me, Caroline. I am trying."

"How hard, Bonnie? Because I am here, lying and cheating to these people's faces, while they provide for me and take care of me. I am lying to a man who is willing to spend the rest of his life with me, do you understand that? I am turning into Katherine here! On the one side, I have Stefan to protect against that crazy bitch and then there's Damon and she's obviously into them both already so I have to lie some more and scheme and plot and this isn't who I am ! So I am asking you, are you trying hard enough? Are you doing things you never thought you could do, like me?"

Bonnie doesn't answer.

"Yeah, I didn't think so," Caroline says bitterly. "So don't you dare come here and tell me what I can or can't do. What if I decide to stay? You can't ask me to choose between my life and his!"

"I'm asking you to choose you," Bonnie answers.

"What kind of a choice is that?" Caroline spits, not hiding her disgust for the thought.

"I have to go now, Caroline," Bonnie says softly.

"Yeah, go. Leave me alone to deal with your mess, that's perfectly fine."

A single tear of frustration rolls down Caroline's cheek and she wipes it away furiously. It's the first time since she got here that she has no control over a situation and it's the most frustrating feeling in the world. She is so angry at Bonnie for putting her through this. Actually, she's angry at all of her friends for not being here to help her through this. For giving up on Damon and on her so easily.

"I watch you every day, Caroline. I know it's the last thing you want to hear it, but you care too much. Make it stop."

"Go to Hell, Bonnie."

In the mirror, the witch remains expressionless, which only adds to Caroline's fury. What happened to the Bonnie she knows and loves?

"Stefan will visit you tonight. You can talk. Figure this out."

"Whatever."

Caroline lets out a bitter laugh, shakes her head and looks away, not bothering to say goodbye. The minute Bonnie's face disappears from the mirror and she's faced with herself again, the blonde burst into tears, feeling like her heart is being ripped off her chest. What she doesn't know is that, back in present day, Bonnie is doing the same, collapsing into Elena's arms.

* * *

><p><em><strong>First and foremost, I want to thank each and every one of you for reading and reviewing this. I know I say this a lot, and I say it some more when I get back to you individually via PMs, but I mean it. I just got the most upsetting review on the French version of the fic today, and that makes me even more grateful for you all out there.<strong>_

_**Now - about that chapter. Clearly, another turning point in the story, right? What comes next, and Stefan's visit, will mark the beginning of the second half of the story. You've made it through the first, so stick around - you'll love the end, I swear.**_

_**- M. - **_

_**PS : Who got crazy over 3x05 ?**_


	16. Numb

_Day Forty Seven - Numb_

"Caroline," Stefan says for the twentieth time, quite annoyed with her attitude. "I am not going until we talk."

The blonde just groans and maintains her eyes shut. When Bonnie left earlier, she broke down – she cried her eyes out, remembering the words her friend said to her. She didn't care if Katherine heard her from the other end of the house, she needed to evacuate all this frustration somehow. So, she cried. And then she remembered that Bonnie said Stefan would visit her. She was not ready for another "big talk", so she decided she would not go to sleep. She was a goddamn vampire, she didn't need sleep. She convinced herself that she only kept sleeping because it helped her feel normal; and normalcy was something she cherished deeply. But screw that, she was not going to sleep that night.

Obviously, she failed.

After she walked to Damon's door to make sure he was okay, then to Stefan's and finally to their father's, she decided she could use some hunting to get her mind off things. She ran to the woods and fed on more animals than she can remember. At some point though, she was full. She took the time to bury her victims and walked back to the Salvatore Estate, completely oblivious to the fact that she was being watched. Okay, maybe she wasn't oblivious but she couldn't bring herself to care. If some human was watching her and wanted to kill her, then fine, they should just go on and do it. It would make this pain stop. That's everything she wanted, for the pain, the anger and the frustration to stop.

When she got back to her bedchamber, she just laid on her bed, wondering what she should do about this whole situation. Wondering what she should do about Katherine, about Stefan falling for the other vampire. Wondering what she should do about her and Damon's relationship. It was then that she fell asleep, despite all the effort she put in fighting it. It had taken less than five minutes for Vampire Stefan to materialize next to her. He has been here for a solid hour now, trying to get her to talk to him.

"Care, you can't keep ignoring me," he says very seriously.

"Unless you're here to tell me that you're on my side, I don't want to talk to you."

"There aren't any sides. What needs to be done needs to be done."

Caroline's eyes snap open and she sits up at vampire speed. Stefan has never seen her so furious. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying and she looks at him like she is going to rip his head off. For a split second, he wishes she had kept her eyes closed. But he understands her need to take this anger out on someone – he has been through all of this himself. He is not even sure that he is done with it, but it doesn't matter just now.

"What needs to be done needs to be done," she repeats incredulously before laughing humorlessly. "You really believe your own crap, don't you."

"Caroline, please don't make this any harder. I don't want to fight with you."

"He is your brother," she spits. "Your _brother_!"

When he shrugs, the blonde grabs him by the collar of his shirt – she is on the verge of tears, he can tell. Stefan wraps his strong arms around her waist; she immediately starts to fight him, yelling that he should let go of her, that she doesn't want him here – that she hates him and she hates all of them. It doesn't take long before she quits struggling and holds onto his shirt. She lets herself collapse in his arms and Stefan has to fight his own tears. It pulls at his heart strings to see her like this. His fingers run through her hair and he whispers that she is going to be okay, that everything will be okay eventually. Caroline sobs uncontrollably against his body, shaking from head to toe. Her friend grits his teeth, waiting for the storm to pass, praying he can fight his own pain until she's calmed down. Gradually, the sobs and hiccups start to fade, until they are back to a complete silence.

"He is perfect," she breathes. "He is funny and gentle and he makes me laugh. He is witty and he's so brave. He says we can get married when he comes back from duty. Damn it, Stefan, the mere idea of him holding a rifle gives me nightmares. He is so…lively," she says; she's so exhausted that her voice is barely audible.

"You love him," he says knowingly.

"I don't know," she answers through gritted teeth, trying to hold back the upcoming flood of tears. "But _you_ love him, you shouldn't be okay with any of this. Do you want him to _die_?" she growls at him.

"What I want doesn't matter, Caroline. What _you_ want doesn't matter. The decision was never ours to make. If you keep pushing him towards Katherine, he'll fall in love with her and maybe leave with her. Who knows what might happen, everything it might change? It's not going to bring him back. All it's going to do is keep you alone here forever, where you don't belong."

Caroline breaks away from Stefan slowly. She looks into her green eyes for any sign of doubt, but finds none. He is really asking her to give up on Damon and she can see that it hurts him just as much as it does her. She has to look away though, because Stefan's eyes are glistening. The blonde lets her eyes wander around the room, playing with the hem of her shirt absent-mindedly. She wants to laugh at the whole thing. None of it makes any sense, and that's coming from a vampire sent back in the nineteenth century.

"I want to save him. I want to bring him home, where he belongs," she stays stubbornly, using Stefan's words against him.

He heaves a deep sigh. This is going to be harder that he expected. He didn't think Caroline was so caught up in her mission – he didn't really believe Bonnie when she said Caroline cared too much, but he can see that, now. She is falling in love with Damon and he can't blame her. His brother, as a human and a vampire both, has always been a charmer. But these feelings are making Caroline blind to everything else. He hates to do this to her, but he doesn't have a choice.

"Why don't we talk about what your mother wants?" he says a little aggressively.

"Can we leave her out of this?" Caroline snaps. "Her life will be a lot easier if I stay here, anyway. She hates me."

"No, we can't. And that is not true. She came by the boarding house, the other day," Stefan says softly, making her eyes widen. "She needed to talk."

"About what?" Caroline asks, curious.

Liz Forbes went to Stefan because there was nobody else she could discuss these matters with. She had questions about vampires. She knew what her family told her, and she knew what the Council told her – but she wanted answers from the other side. She asked him if vampires had a soul, if they were still the same people they were as humans. She asked him if her sweet little Caroline was still in there, somewhere. She thought she was, but then she imagined her daughter with fangs and red eyes and it was just too much for her. She asked him if there was a way to "fix" Caroline.

"What did you say to her?" the blonde asks, her voice softer, now.

"The truth. Your body has changed, but your soul is intact. It's just that now, there's a side to you that she never knew, a darker side. I told her that you don't have to be fixed, because you're not broken."

"I wouldn't be so sure," she laughs humorlessly.

"Caroline, your mother needs you back. You're not there, so you can't see it, but everyone is losing balance without you."

He tells her about how Matt's eyes scan through the Grill every ten minutes to see if she's walking in. The human is sick with remorse about the way he treated her. Not having her around makes him realize that whether she's a vampire or a dragoness, he can't be without her. He wants to fix things, start over with their relationship and forget about everything that's happened. Now that he doesn't have his mother or sister anymore and with Caroline gone, Matt feels like he is completely alone in this world.

As for Tyler Lockwood, he is slowly sinking into seclusion. He blames himself for everything that's happening, since he's the one who bit Damon and involuntarily started this. For the last full moon, Stefan was worried about him so he went to the old Lockwood estate – Tyler was forcing so much wolfsbane down his throat that he was a whisper away from doing something stupid. He feels like he is never going to see Caroline again and it drives him crazy.

Stefan starts to notice a slight change in Caroline's expression. Her eyes become unfocused and a small smile tries to appear on her lips. His words have touched her heart; they have managed to break through her armor. She finally realizes that she is terribly missed and that the choice she makes will have consequences on every single person that she cares about. When he thinks she'll give in, she turns away from him.

"Even if I wanted to come back, I couldn't," she points out. "I am incapable of doing anything that will cause him harm."

She shrugs helplessly, pretending like she has no control over that situation. Stefan smiles and shakes his head. He never thought he'd see the day when he would say those words to Caroline.

"Because you love him," Stefan states, causing her to make a face.

"It's just that I'm not a killer, vampire thing aside, of course."

"_And_, because you love him," he repeats, and she closes the distance between them to hit him in the arm.

"Stop saying that!"

"Why? We both know it's true. I think you should admit it. It'll help you."

"I really don't see how," she scowls.

Stefan takes a minute to find the right way to put this. If Caroline admits that she is falling in love with Damon, she'll see things in a whole new light.

"You've seen the man he will turn into if he becomes a vampire," Stefan explains. "This selfish, manipulative and impulsive killer. Not to mention that if you let Katherine turn him when she really loves _me_, he'll be hurt until he meets Elena and falls in love with her, when she really loves me. He will be brokenhearted for the rest of his life. Do you want that for him?"

Caroline sighs. When she sees Katherine smiling at Damon before leaving with Stefan, it makes her want to stake the older vampire. When she thinks about how Elena let Damon believe that they had something special and then told him she'd always love Stefan, she wants to break things. Of course she doesn't want him to be brokenhearted.

"How do you think he'll feel when I seduce him, agree to become his wife and then vanish, leaving nothing but a "Sorry, had to go back to the twenty-first century" note? Don't you think _that _will break his heart?"

"Bonnie said she'd warn you before she brings you back. We'll find something to make it easier for him, then."

He means compulsion, of course, but he doesn't say the word. Caroline knows, but she doesn't react. They both consider the same option right now: if she decides to stick to the original plan, she'll do everything she can to win Damon's affections again. They could enjoy a wonderful relationship for a while and then, when it'll be time for her to go, she could compel him to make him forget so he won't miss her. Caroline shakes her head.

"Look, I told you he's falling for Katherine. You and I both know that I don't stand a chance against her. There's no way I'm getting him back after pushing him away like I did. Seriously, I can't do anything, so, there, we're screwed."

"You don't have to explain yourself, Caroline. There are a million good reasons why you shouldn't be doing this. But the one reason why you should is stronger. I can help you."

She raises an eyebrow at him, visibly doubting that there is anything he can do. He is not even here for real, how could he do anything?

"It's easier to be the bad guy, you know," Stefan says softly.

She shrugs, unsure of what he means. Being the bad guy is easier for sure – the bad guy always assumes they're going to win while the good guy, like her, wastes time worrying and struggling with their conscience. _Struggling with their conscience_. Now, she sees where he is going with this.

"You want me to turn off my emotions," she points out in an expressionless voice. "You want me to find the switch, don't you?"

"It's for the best, Care. You don't have to feel so miserable. You can be here, enjoy your time with Damon and come back to us, unbroken."

"Is that why you're so detached about this, because you've turned off your emotions, too?" she asks.

"It's for the best," he repeats, hoping that she won't see that he's lying.

"How do I do?" she says after a minute of silence.

"You know, all that pain, anger, and frustration you've been feeling since you got here? Embrace them. Feel them at their worst."

"What, now?"

"Yes, now."

Caroline closes her eyes. She breathes in through her nose, then out through her mouth several times. She embraces every single negative emotion she has felt since she came here – it makes her want to cry but she grits her teeth and digs deeper. She thinks about every time someone has chosen Elena over her, every time she saw that look of bitter disappointment in her mother's eyes. She remembers the horrible seconds after Katherine put a pillow onto her face: the fear, the anger. She keeps digging deeper. Her body starts shaking – she is holding back the tears and the screams. Stefan takes both her hands into his.

"Now, let the vampire take over. It'll make it stop," he whispers.

She focuses for a few seconds, wondering how she is supposed to let the vampire take over. But she doesn't have time to find out. Every single noise, every single memory that she was replaying in her mind suddenly fades into a murmur. A far away murmur, from the back of her mind. While she felt overwhelmed a few seconds ago, it's like an empty highway now. She can hear herself think. She doesn't feel bad anymore. She never thought it'd be that easy – she doesn't feel different, or at least, not different like she expected: she doesn't feel evil. She just feels relieved, freed from a terrible weight.

She opens her eyes and expires deeply, a smirk on her lips. Stefan has seen that smirk before, on Damon and on Katherine. It lets him know that Caroline has found the switch.

"You are still here," Caroline points out after a long moment of silence; Stefan hears the infinitesimal change in her voice – she sounds a little less Caroline, a little more detached. "I thought you'd leave now that I've done what you asked of me."

"Yeah, there's something else I wanted to discuss with you", he says, a teasing smile curling his lips.

"Well?" she urges him, losing patience.

"I always knew you had a crush on me, but you might want to stop kissing me if you intend on letting Damon court you. Just saying," he teases and shrugs.

He watches, amused, as Caroline's jaw drops. She looks like she's been hit in the stomach and Stefan can't help but burst out laughing when she throws a pillow in his face.

"How the Hell do you know about that?" she shrieks, hitting him repetitively with the pillow.

"Bonnie! She's watching 24/7, remember?" he answers between hiccups of laughter.

"Unbelievable! Even a hundred and something years away from you guys, you find a way to spy on me, seriously! And just you know, you _asshole_, it was your human self who kissed me, okay? Poor Stefan had never been kissed before," she says, mocking him.

"_I could have loved you, Caroline,_" Stefan mimics in the best lovesick voice he can muster, causing another volley of insults to rush out of Caroline's mouth. "_We would have been wonderful, you and me. _"

They keep fighting like kids for a few more minutes; Stefan finally raises his hands to let her know that he surrenders. Caroline immediately stops laughing; her face becomes serious almost instantly. Once again, Stefan wouldn't notice if he didn't know her, but she's clearly different now that she's flipped the switch. The words that come out of her mouth afterwards only confirm what he thinks.

"I don't want you to come visit again, Stefan. You remind me of home, of the Caroline I really am. I can't have you around if I'm going to be a manipulative bitch," she simply says with a shrug.

Stefan nods. He contemplates hugging her goodbye, but she wouldn't like that. So he just smiles at her.

"If you ever need to talk, all you have to do is call. I'll be there in no time."

"Duly noted."

"I'll see you soon, Care."

They close their eyes at the same moment. Caroline's open to her 1864 bedchamber, while Stefan's meet Elena's. Back in Present Day, Stefan blinks a few times before his eyes become focused again. Elena is sitting next to him, on the edge of her bed, the concern obvious in her big brown eyes. He sits up slowly, his brow knitted. Bonnie is there as well – he can see that she has cried some more.

"It's done," he says. "She's flipped the switch. Everything will be okay, now."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hey everyone ! I love you so much for the amazing feedback. There's nothing I love more than reading your reviews and I like that some of you take this very seriously when it comes to the characters. I promised you a game-changer: well, Caroline has now flipped the switch and she's admitted that she loves Damon. What do you think will happen from now on? <strong>__**Next chapter probably online this weekend !**_

_**- M. - **_


	17. Set Fire to the Rain

_Day Forty Eight_ - _Set Fire to the Rain_

When Caroline wakes up that day, the sun has not risen yet. Her sleep has been filled with dreams of her friends. For the first time in a long while, she is aware of the distance there is between her and the people she cares about. More than ever, she is willing to do whatever it takes to be reunited with them. Despite her love for Damon, she doesn't understand how she could seriously consider staying here forever. Stefan was right, she doesn't belong here. She promises herself that from this moment on, her only focus will be to get back to her loved ones.

Every other inhabitant of the household is still peacefully enjoying their rest, except for Damon. Her sensitive ears pick up the sound of his feet pounding on the wooden floor of his bedroom. Tam, tam, tam. He seems distraught. Caroline frowns, wondering what could possibly make him so agitated, first thing in the morning. Tam, tam, tam. He has always been an early riser, that, she knows. He has told her how much he enjoys watching the sunrise; that peaceful moment of the day when the world and its endless possibilities are all his. Tam, tam, tam. Sometimes, when she's not sleeping, she listens to him: he is usually at his most peaceful and it brings a smile to her lips. He has offered her to come watch it with him, but she has always declined, pretending that someone could see her exiting his bedroom at dawn, and that it would prejudice her reputation. He didn't try to push it. He never tried to push anything with her. Ever.

Well, since today is the first day of the rest of her life here, she decides that she can change her mind about that. In no time, she rummages through her drawers, finds a light blue dress that will match her eyes perfectly and gets ready to join Damon. She doesn't bother to put on her corset and the crinoline cage (she'll go back to her bedroom to make herself decent for breakfast after she spends a moment with him). She doesn't style her hair either; he says he likes it when it just falls down to her waist.

She can feel the difference now that she doesn't have to feel the bad anymore. Her inhibitions are gone, as well as any doubt, hesitation or anxiety. What needs to be done, needs to be done. She might as well have fun in the process, right? Like Stefan said, she can enjoy her time with Damon. And she intends on doing so – every second of every day. She super-speeds to his door, planning on surprising him. But then, she is the one who gets surprised when she hears a childish giggle escape from behind the door. _No way in Hell_. Caroline listens again, careful not to make a sound.

"_So much for the breathtaking sunrise, M. Salvatore!" Katherine says and Caroline can tell that she is pouting._

"_I am sorry, Katherine, but it looks like it will rain all day. We must stay home, then."_

"_Oh, I expect you to be slightly more adventurous, soldier. Maybe you can take me into the woods. We'll be alone."_

"_We are alone," he points out._

"_Hmmm", Katherine simply says. "I want to dance in the rain."_

"_You will get sick!" Damon objects with a laugh. "Not to mention, your dress is white, Katherine."_

"_So?" the vampire purrs._

She usually doesn't have such a bad tempter, but Caroline helps herself into Damon's bedroom, not bothering to knock. Damon is standing on the balcony, although he is careful to remain inside – the weather is indeed quite terrible. Dark clouds are hazing over the sky and Caroline can sense that Damon is right; the rain will be here soon. Her eyes then travel to his bed, where she finds Katherine. The older vampiress is half-sitting, half-lying there, finding support in her elbow sinking into the mattress. She has kicked off her shoes and her stockings are nowhere in sight. She is indeed wearing a simple white dress – so simple that Caroline's 1864 self feels slightly offended to find her like this in Damon's bedroom. Caroline finds her fingers curling into fists.

"Why, hello, Miss Jones," Katherine says with a sly smile. "Care to join us?"

"How dare you?" Caroline whispers. "How – "

"Caroline," Damon breathes out, visibly embarrassed. "G-good morning. You look abs-" he starts, but she cuts him off with a wave of her hand; she's shaking. "I can explain," he offers, unsure of why she seems so upset about something that she requested.

"Not. Another. Word, Damon," she mutters, finally managing to tear her eyes away from Katherine.

Caroline meets Damon's gaze. He looks mortified, but it doesn't even begin to tame her anger. How dare he invite _her_ in his bedroom? She is the only one who is supposed to be allowed there. So, what? Just because she didn't say yes the first few times, he decided to replace her? Hell, no, she won't allow it.

"A word, Miss Katherine," Caroline growls, causing Damon to glare back at her. "Please," she adds with a small smile.

"Certainly, my dear."

Katherine holds her hand out to Damon, waiting for him to help her get to her feet. Caroline watches as the human unwillingly complies. The brunette takes her time to leave the bed and she nods her head, so as to thank him for his help. With a quick glance in Caroline's direction, Katherine leans in towards Damon and drops a lingering kiss on his cheek. Her white dress floats behind her as she gets closer towards the blonde, and Caroline notices that Damon can't seem to take his eyes off of her.

"I have a feeling that you two have a lot to discuss. I will see you after breakfast, Caroline."

And with that, she's gone. The atmosphere in Damon's bedroom is terribly tense – Caroline is still trying to calm herself down.

"That was incredibly rude of you, Caroline," Damon says.

"I am not a wrathful girl, Damon, but this!"

"This is what you asked of me, Caroline," he says, seemingly back to his confident self. "You said: spend some time alone with Miss Pierce. Hence, my inviting her here. I want nothing but to make you happy."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Indeed, my dear."

"Well, if you must know, Damon," she starts, taking a few steps away from him. "It upsets me greatly that you invited another woman here."

For the first time since she entered the room, Damon takes control of the situation. He reaches out to her and grabs her arm, forcing her to stop walking away. His hold on her is firm, but not painful; it makes her want to smile that even in a moment of anger, he remains such a gentleman. He has never been this bold with her before, initiating a physical contact when she never encouraged him to, and appreciable as the change is, she can't help but feel like she could make him go to pieces right then and there if she wanted to. Actually, she wants to. She wants to make such an impression on him that he'll forget everything about Katherine Pierce. She wants to be the only girl in the world in his eyes. She wants him to long for her, just like she longs for him. Yes, it's extreme but didn't Stefan tell her one day that everything was more intense as a vampire?

A breath gets stuck in Damon's throat when she takes another step towards him, causing their bodies to almost brush against each other. Although he really wants to behave properly, Damon can't help himself – his eyes caress Caroline from head to toe. The dress she is wearing matches the color of her eyes perfectly, but this is not what catches his eye. It only occurs to him _now_ that she is missing something, like, half the underwear she's supposed to be wearing. His body immediately tenses and he lets out a dark chuckle. Caroline raises an eyebrow at him.

"God," he groans. "Do you do things like this on purpose?" he asks, causing her to smile devilishly. She moves just a fraction of an inch closer to him; it doesn't go unnoticed, of course.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," she says, faking innocence.

"Stop teasing, Caroline," he says in a low, very low voice.

"Fine," she says lightly. "No more teasing."

She slowly wraps her arms around his neck. All Damon can think is that she is not wearing gloves, like she usually is when they spend time together during the day. Her fingers curl in his dark locks and she rests her forehead against his. She feels the comforting heat radiating from his body and enjoys the sound of his heart rate increasing. She likes that Katherine's presence has not desensitized him to her charms. Her lips brush against his cheek and she whispers in his ear.

"Stop spending time with her."

"Fine," he whispers.

"You promise?"

He hums in response. Caroline bits back a giggle. A part of her is having so much fun, torturing him like this. Another part of her desperately wants to skip the talking and get onto the part where they kiss already.

"You promise?" she pushes.

"I promise," he says through gritted teeth.

While her forehead is still resting against his, Caroline decides that she has waited long enough. The hell with the manners, she ravishes his mouth. She has been longing for this, for so long now. Maybe it has to do with her turning off her humanity, but her mood has completely changed. While two seconds ago, she was still torn between her burning jealousy towards Katherine and the desire Damon provoked in her, she is now a hundred percent lost in lust.

Damon's hands hesitate for a second, and then grab her at the waist. His fingers dig slightly into her back and he shamelessly moans in the kiss when she grinds against him. She is driving him completely crazy – never before has woman made his body ignite like this. Wherever their bodies come in contact, he feels himself burning; whenever a part of her isn't touching him, he is freezing. He allows himself to deepen the kiss, and he believes he is losing his mind when Caroline holds on tighter to him.

At some point, though, she remembers that Damon, contrary to her, actually needs air, and so her lips release his. For a long while, they stare into each other's eyes and Caroline feels like a bond now exists between the two of them. She brushes her hand against his cheek, giving him some time to catch his breath. He looks like his legs might give in, but the incredulous smile on his face tells her that he will be just fine. Blue eyes meet blue eyes and she distinctly hears his heart skip a beat every now and then.

"I am the one for you, Damon Salvatore," she says in a seductive whisper. "The only one."

He just smiles at her, unsure of what he is expected to say to that. She walks out of the room with a satisfied smile on her face. It widens when she hears him mutter to himself. _"Yes, you are." _This is going to be easy and this is going to be so much fun, she thinks.

But then, she experiences another mood swing, aware that she is awfully subject to those since last night. Things will be neither easy nor funny until she deals with her biggest problem here. Katherine. _Hurricane Katerina. _Any sign of lust has now completely vanished; she is switching back to 1864 jealous girlfriend. She wonders if she will keep having mood swings like this for the rest of her life – until she decides to care again. That's inconvenient; she feels like she's having ADD. She can't focus if so many things keep happening. How is she supposed to deal with Katherine when she can still taste Damon on her lips?

She finds herself standing in front of the older vampire's bedroom door. Just when she is about to knock, the door opens. Emily Bennett is standing there like she has been expecting her. Caroline notices once again the glint in the familiar brown eyes. She has not been in Emily's company often, since she has been doing the best she could to avoid Katherine, but there is definitely something of Bonnie here – probably the propensity to be judgmental, Caroline thinks bitterly; and then, she shrugs it off, smiling her most polite smile at Emily.

"I wish to speak with Katherine, please."

"Very well, Miss Caroline," the dark-skinned woman answers.

Caroline tilts her head slightly, trying to identify the double meaning Emily is putting behind her words; she fails and lets it go very easily (mood swings, damn it). Emily heads out, leaving the two vampires together. Katherine is sitting in front of her vanity, scrupulously brushing her hair. She doesn't bother looking back at Caroline, who feels free to sit on the bed.

"I see you have changed into decent clothes," Caroline points out.

"I see you haven't," Katherine fires back. "Giuseppe would hate to see his daughter-in-law to be adopting such a disturbing behavior, I'm sure."

"I will change after we are finished. I believe we have urgent matters to discuss."

Katherine makes a sound of approval, in response to Caroline, but then she groans in annoyance. She has finished untangling her hair and she is now trying to braid it. Despite her vampire dexterity, she is failing. Caroline huffs and pulls a chair behind Katherine. She takes the brush away from her hands and untangles the hair properly, before she starts braiding it.

"Thank you, dear. See? This is exactly why I could use a friend, here. Don't get me wrong, I love men's company, but they are really no use when it comes to braids."

"Speaking of," Caroline says, willingly ignoring the fact that Katherine is trying to befriend her. "Your attitude towards Damon needs to change, Katherine."

"Is that so? Well, in the spirit of proving my having the best intentions," Katherine starts, causing Caroline to scowl. "I am ready to offer you a deal. It seems to me that you are very fond of Stefan."

"What does he have to do with anything?" Caroline asks defensively.

"Like I said, you are very fond of him. Something tells me you care about him more than you should," Katherine says knowingly. "So, how do you feel about trading places?"

Caroline rolls her eyes ostensibly; Katherine doesn't see it, but she feels it. The blonde keeps braiding Katherine's hair, pulling at it slightly. She wonders how she has not broken a chair to grab a stake and drive it through Katherine's heart yet. Seriously, she has never met such an infuriating being in her entire life.

"You're sick," Caroline says, letting go of her hair, and the brunette laughs.

"I have been called worse, trust me."

"Can we go straight to the point, here? It is not appropriate for you to spend so much time with another woman's fiancé, I am sure you know that."

"I am a very inappropriate woman," Katherine says with a nonchalant shrug.

Once again, Caroline rolls her eyes. She is wasting her time, trying to have a conversation with such a twisted mind. She feels herself get angrier with every second and before she can stop herself, she is almost growling at Katherine.

"You stay the Hell away from him."

"Or what?" the other woman teases.

"Or you will be kindly asked to move out from this home. I am the one Giuseppe chose for him."

Katherine laughs again; the sound truly irritates Caroline now.

"I am the one Damon chose for himself," Katherine says.

That's about it. Before she can even realize what she is doing, Caroline is pouncing onto Katherine and closing her right hand around her throat. In half a second, she is pinning the other woman against the closest wall, scattering papers and books along the way. She is completely losing control of herself, because seriously, who does Katherine think she is, pretending that Damon has chosen her?

Katherine is taken off-guard and so she lets herself be pinned against the wall, and she lets Caroline growl at her but the situation is reversed within seconds as well. She lets her features change into that of the monster she really is. She effortlessly grabs Caroline's arm, twisting it behind her back, causing the blonde to wince in pain. With her left hand, she presses Caroline's head into the wall.

"I have years on you, little girl," Katherine threatens. "Try that again and I will drive a stake through your heart."

"Y-you know about me?"

Katherine lets go of Caroline and even fixes her hair with a patronizing smile plastered on her face.

"I've known from the first second, Caroline. This is why it upsets me so much that you do not wish to be friends with me. I could use the company of a fellow vampire, here."

"You say you wish to be friends, but you are trying to seduce Damon."

"I'll tell you what, sweetheart," Katherine says in a childish voice. "If you want me to give up on Damon, despite my telling you how much it would sadden me, it is only fair that you should make a little sacrifice yourself."

Caroline rolls her eyes at the playful grin on the brunette's face.

"Everything is just a game to you, isn't it?"

"Seeing the world as a never-ending playground makes eternity bearable," Katherine explains truthfully. "You will see. Now, how about that sacrifice?"

"What do you want, Katherine?" Caroline groans, annoyed by the childishness of her interlocutor.

Katherine's smile widens, and turns into a devilish smirk. She walks to the windows and starts looking outside, visibly looking for something. Caroline joins her, out of sheer curiosity, although something tells her that she is about to get in some serious trouble. Somehow, she doesn't care – she's fierce, she's brave, she's Caroline Forbes, for God's sake. She's flipped the damn switch and she doesn't _care_.

"It always bothers me when I come across a fellow creature who puts useless efforts in forsaking their nature," Katherine explains. "I want you to feed."

"I do feed, thank you very much," Caroline says, holding back the "bitch" that she meant to say at the end.

"Let me rephrase that," the older vampire says with a gesture towards the window.

Caroline's eyes widen as she watches Katherine point a finger in the direction of someone who's making their way into the house. Dolores.

"I want you to feed, _properly_. At that condition, and that condition alone, will I leave Damon alone."

"You cannot be serious," Caroline chokes.

With a last glance at the blonde's flabbergasted face, Katherine heads out.

"Let us see how far you are willing to go to protect your relationship."

Once again, Caroline holds back the "bitch" she means to say.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hello everyone ! For those of you who'd been waiting for a KatherineCaroline interaction : here it is. What do you think about their dynamic? More importantly, what do you think Caroline will do now that Katherine is basically blackmailing her? _**

**_THE KISS finally happened - I hope you liked the Daroline moment. More to come in every chapter from now on !_**

**_Next update on Wednesday, I guess !_**

**_- M. - _**


	18. Win One, Lose One

Day Fifty - _Win One, Lose One_

Yes. Three letters that can change the world. Falling from Caroline's lips, the word has several meanings. The pride of a father. The happiness of a man. The emotion of a friend. The irritation of a rival. All of which are about to be unleashed at the breakfast table.

The household has been awake for a few hours, now, and most of its occupants have been wondering what would justify the incessant come-and-go of the servants. They all seem in such a hurry; the kind of agitation you saw only around the Lockwood Estate before a party. Damon and Stefan have not dared ask questions yet, but seeing Caroline and Giuseppe entering the dining room together, with those smiles across their faces, all questions find an answer. Katherine, on the other side, greets Caroline with a cold glare.

"It is you who have been detaining M. Salvatore, then," she observes nonchalantly. "I was hoping we could play crocket before breakfast," she pouts; the old man smiles tenderly at her.

"I promise to let you win next time, my dear. See, Caroline and I had urgent matters to attend to."

"What kind of matters?" Damon asks worriedly.

"Patience, son, patience. You shall discover it soon enough."

Damon rolls his eyes as his father laughs a little and leads Caroline to her chair – the chair where their mother used to sit, and that had been left unoccupied until now. The blue-eyed human exchanges a puzzled look with his brother, who shrugs in ignorance. Truth be told, yes, Stefan has noticed that Caroline has been acting differently for the past three days, but he decided it was simply because she finally accepted to give her relationship with Damon a chance.

"I have something that I am impatient to share with you all," Caroline starts very formally; she smiles widely at Katherine. "I have considered this for a long while, and I want you to know that it has been carefully thought through."

"What is it, Caroline? You worry me," Damon urges and she raises a finger to silence him.

"After numerous conversations with all of you, I have finally been able to make a decision."

Caroline takes a deep breath. She nervously locks eyes with Damon and smiles. She turns to Giuseppe, who is still next to her and nods her head, tears filling her eyes. The man briefly squeezes her hand and stands up, looking radiant. His deep voice resonates through the entire room.

"It is with great pride, but also with great emotion, that I introduce to you the future Mrs. Damon Salvatore."

The pride of a father. The happiness of a man. The emotion of a friend. The irritation of a rival.

While Giuseppe smiles contentedly at Damon, the latter seems at a loss for words – it's the first time that Caroline has actually seen him so completely speechless; it makes a part of her – the part that cares – stir just a little. She wants to enjoy this, never mind that she rushed it in order to keep Katherine away. She loves him all the same.

"You and I – we are family, now," Stefan says, pulling her from his father's grip to press both her hands in his. "From this day forward, you are my sister."

Caroline smiles at him, understanding very clearly that "from this day forward" means "in spite of the meaningless kiss we shared." She barely even remembers it – it seems that it was a lifetime ago. When she was confused, when she was overwhelmed and lost. Actually, now that the words "you are my sister" have crossed his lips, she sees no better definition of what they are.

"From this day forward," she echoes. "My brother."

"In the light of this wonderful turn of events, we are having a party tonight," Giuseppe announces. "The Founding families have been invited, of course, as well as a great deal of your friends, boys. It will be the perfect occasion for our wonderful ladies to make their debut in Mystic Fall's high society."

Caroline claps her hands delightfully while Katherine forces an enthusiastic smile on her lips.

"May I interpret this as yet another valuable reason for us to go shopping for gowns, M. Salvatore?" Katherine says; Caroline would frown at this unexpected proposition but she is just lost in the moment.

"I will not deny you the pleasure, dearest. All extravagances are allowed tonight! I will have a carriage ready for you two. And now, if you will excuse me, children, I have a very busy day ahead of me!"

The old man throws another delighted look around the room and heads off to God-knows-where, leaving the two pairs of lovers in a vibrant silence. Katherine is standing a few steps away.

"Is something the matter, Damon?" Caroline asks when she notices the deep frown line on his forehead; she leaves Stefan to put a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Absolutely not, dear. I – I was not expecting this news today, is all. I am happier than words can say. Give me a minute to get used to the wonderful idea."

Damon drops a chaste kiss on her cheek and smiles at her but she knows better – the smile doesn't reach his eyes. He appears rather uncomfortable and it suddenly occurs to Caroline that she has indeed done something wrong. She is getting comfortable here, and has an annoying tendency to forget all about the formalities.

"Please accept my apology for not breaking the news to you privately. I couldn't contain my happiness, and your father, he was so thrilled."

"Why, of course, I forgive you," he says. "We will have time to rejoice on our own, darling."

She thinks she hears a hint of sadness in his voice, but she can't help a shiver of delight at the word "darling." Never mind that Stefan and Katherine are there, she giggles childishly.

"You said 'darling'," she observes. "I love the way it rolls off your tongue."

Damon laughs heartedly and gives her a short hug.

"Now, _darling, _I will let you get ready for your excursion to town with Miss Katherine."

He allows himself the boldness to kiss her on the lips, and throws a look at Stefan, who leaves the room with his brother, not without a last congratulatory smile for Caroline. Just after he's crossed the threshold, Damon spins around with his trademark smirk on.

"If I may, I would love you in a red dress, _darling_."

"Off you go, M. Salvatore," she says, rolling her eyes at his silliness.

As soon as the brothers are gone, Katherine slowly claps her hands at Caroline and leaves the room with an enigmatic smirk across her face, which makes Caroline suddenly very anxious. She thought it was smart to make the engagement public. After her tense conversation with her fellow vampire, she waited until Katherine and Emily were headed to town to request a moment alone with the father figure. It made perfect sense to her that Katherine would back off if the two got officially engaged – she would not want to upset Giuseppe, for it would force her to leave the estate and start running from Klaus again. She could have just threatened Katherine to tell the hybrid-to-be about her whereabouts, but she thought that might end with her head being ripped off her body. Now, seeing that Katherine doesn't seem the least upset about the whole matter – she's even taking her shopping, for God's sake – Caroline starts to question her plan.

On the way to town, as Dolores is sitting across from her in the carriage, Caroline wonders if it would not be easier to just bite her and get it over with. Katherine said "feed", not "kill" after all. It could easily be done; a quick bite in the wrist, then she'd give the girl some blood to heal her. At the thought of fresh human blood, Caroline feels her stomach stir violently. She shrugs it off and soon enough, the two vampires and their maids are dropped off in front of the tailor's.

"Miss Caroline, Miss Pierce," the shop owner greets them with an enthusiastic smile. "Rumor has it you people are having a party at the Salvatore estate tonight. I was positive I'd see you today. What's the occasion?"

Caroline regains her haughtiness immediately.

"Damon Salvatore and I will be announcing our engagement."

"My, my. Congratulations, my dear. You will certainly arouse jealousies from every female in town."

"Well, he is mine, now," Caroline giggles and she throws a side glance at Katherine. "May I ask if you have any red gowns? My future husband's recommendations," she explains.

As the petite woman hobbles through the backroom, Caroline senses a change in the atmosphere. Using her vampire speed, the brunette moves closer to Caroline, standing a mere inches away from the blonde. Caroline internally rolls her eyes at the need to be so dramatic while anyone could enter the shop, or in front of Dolores, for that matter. She makes a mental note to compel the girl later.

"Is this engagement your pitiful attempt at double-crossing me?" Katherine snarls.

"My engagement to Damon has been a topic of discussion from my early days here," Caroline shrugs, although she can't hide the satisfaction in her voice.

"I could just compel him, you know," Katherine drops in casually as she helps Caroline out untie her dress, in order to be ready to try on the ones which will be brought to her.

"The great Katherine Pierce, resorting to compulsion, for lack a better way to a man's heart," Caroline snorts. "I would love to see that."

Katherine accepts the offense with a smile.

"Nicely done, Caroline. I have to admit, I underestimated you. I assume you have given him vervain."

"Correct," Caroline says. "You will not compel him or feed from him."

"There are tons of fish in the water," Katherine says. "I will paint the streets of this town red with blood."

"Someone is a little sensitive," Caroline teases. "See how annoying it is to have your plans ruined by someone else's actions?"

"You do not know what you are getting yourself into, Caroline," Katherine growls.

Caroline simply smiles and continues looking for the perfect dress. As the tailor returns with four gowns, her eyes immediately make out the one. A silk dress, with a breathtakingly low neck line that will without a doubt please Damon. She imagines what the look in his eyes will be when he sees her coming down the stairs with her hair styled up and a lipstick matching the rich color of the dress. She imagines what his manly hands against the soft fabric will feel like, once they will be alone….

Katherine's voice interrupts her daydreaming.

"I might not be able to feed on Damon or to compel him, but last time I checked, nothing was preventing me from breaking his neck. The Mrs. Salvatore-to-be widowed before her wedding night – I would love to see that."

Caroline stops right in her tracks and turns to face Katherine. She looks at her Nemesis and lets her eyes wander further away in the shop, to Dolores. She thought she could avoid this, but what needs to be done, needs to be done. She will not have Katherine threaten Damon like this.

"You will get your way," she concedes in such a low voice that only Katherine can hear. "The girl will die. Today."

The mood swing that Katherine experiences reminds Caroline of her own; the brunette retrieves the radiant, satisfied smile of the spoiled child who got what she wanted. With a shrug, she grabs the dress that Caroline was eyeing and holds it before the blonde with an appreciative look.

"This one will look wonderful on you," Katherine says with a polite smile. "And it is red, in accordance with your husband's desires."

Caroline can't really tell how this conversation leads the two of them, as well as Dolores and Emily, to a small meadow not far from the Salvatore house. Katherine requested that they be left there and that the carriage go back to the house – with the message that the ladies had gone for a walk, in order to help Caroline calm her nerves before the party. The place is familiar; this is where she comes to feed every night. However, her prey is slightly different this time. She is not even sure she remembers how to feed on people – it happened to her just on the first two days after she was turned in Present Day and she is struggling with the idea of becoming a monster again, even though she isn't supposed to care.

When she looks at Emily's impassible face, she wonders why the witch doesn't stop Katherine right then and there. She has enough power to do so, Caroline is sure. And yet, there she stands, seemingly oblivious to what is happening right in front of her eyes. So much for keeping things in check.

"Well, are we spending the whole afternoon here?" Katherine urges, as the blonde doesn't make a move.

Caroline exhales deeply and asks Dolores to follow her, further into the woods. The little girl complies, although it is clear that she is getting more scared by the minute. As the two of them start walking, Katherine falls in behind them.

"What?" she says innocently. "I like to watch."

"Fine," Caroline mutters before she grabs Dolores by the shoulders. "Do not scream or run," she says, using compulsion.

Caroline sneaks up behind Dolores' back once the teenager confirms that she will not disobey the orders she has been given. She slides her arm around the childish neck and lowers her eyes to it – she can see the blue veins just underneath the skin, with the blood being pumped faster on the effect of fear. She can smell the luscious, metallic fragrance of blood. It makes her light-headed; she won't resist very long. Soon enough, she finds herself shaking. Katherine folds her arms against her chest, dismissing Emily with a wave of the hand. The dark-skinned woman bows slightly and walks away without looking back.

"What is happening, Miss Caroline? What are you doing?" Dolores asks shyly.

Silence meets her query. Caroline can't speak. She can't take in the amount of air necessary to speak, because it would force her to breathe in the highly tentative scent of Dolores' blood. She always thought it would be easy to feed on people now that she's flipped the switch, but Dolores is so closely linked to the human part of her – the part that cares, once again – that she has all the trouble in the world to contain her tears. A few roll down her face when, despite her best efforts, her features start to change. The monster takes over completely and her protruding fangs come to graze Dolores' skin.

"Enough," Katherine orders; Caroline doesn't seem to hear her and so the older vampire puts an iron-like hand on the blonde's shoulder. With the greatest reluctance, Caroline tears her eyes away from Dolores' jugular and it takes a few deep breaths to let the dark veins under her eyes subside.

"You'd do anything for him, wouldn't you?" Katherine asks amazedly.

The blonde doesn't answer; she's still torn between the disgust her impeding actions provoke in her and the primal need to tear at the youth's throat. Katherine releases Dolores from Caroline's grip and dives into the girls' eyes and mind, all at the same time.

"Forget about everything that's just happened. Go back to the house and run a bath for your mistress," Katherine commands. "If anyone asks, Miss Caroline and I are on our way. Do you understand?"

"I understand, Miss Katherine."

Completely bewildered, Caroline watches as Dolores picks up her skirts, curtseys to both vampires and stumbles across the meadow to head back to the Salvatore estate. The blonde blinks repetitively, in an attempt to recover her senses – the events she is noticing don't make any sense to her troubled mind and she finds herself shaking from head to toe, realizing that Dolores is not dead, that Katherine stopped her right on time.

"Why?" she utters slowly. "Why'd you stop me? Why?"

"I cannot really tell whether you are grateful or upset?" Katherine wonders out loud.

"Tell me what this means, Katherine," Caroline pushes.

"If you must know, I got bored."

"I do not have it in me to keep up with your games. We had an agreement: if I fed on Dolores, you would let Damon and I be. Why change your mind about it?"

Katherine sighs. She can't seem to find the right words to explain herself; she has lost the habit of doing so. In a feigned vain gesture, she sorts her hair and offers a small smile to Caroline. The latter frowns and folds her arms on her chest, tapping her foot on the wet soil. Katherine shrugs.

"Why don't we forget about this agreement?"

"Will you stop smoldering at Damon?"

"Damon is extremely charming, my dear. When I lay eyes on him, I see a lover that I do not have to love. The perfect distraction. However," she says, leaving her sentence unfinished.

"Are you saying you won't leave him?" Caroline urges.

"The man is all yours, Caroline."

Katherine laughs softly at the blonde's astounded expression; she gives Caroline a sweet smile, and the gentleness in her eyes doesn't go unnoticed.

"Stefan seems to be very fond of me. I might be able to satisfy myself with only one of the most eligible bachelors in town."

"You will not put me through some other ordeals?" Caroline asks incredulously.

"Believe it or not, sweetheart, I'd much rather find a friend in you than a part-time lover in Damon Salvatore, devilishly handsome as he might be."

Caroline doesn't withhold a sigh of relief. Her eyes shut for a few seconds and then Katherine's words make their way into her brain.

"A friend, you said?" she echoes with a smirk.

"Don't let it go to your head," Katherine snaps playfully. "Now, you have a hot bath waiting for you and an engagement to celebrate. Let us not loiter."

After a moment's hesitation, Caroline smiles at Katherine and the two set off to the house. The walk back is silent, and Caroline tries to imagine what it would be like to be friends with Katherine. Sometimes, the other vampire reminds her of Elena so much – like, a few moments ago, when she smiled. It's the first time Caroline has seen a genuine smile of those lips, instead of that annoying smirk.

"May I ask the reason why you have been so openly hostile to me since I arrived?" Katherine says conversationally when the house is already in view. "Besides the fact that I wanted to seduce your husband-to-be, goes without saying."

"What does it matter to you?"

"It doesn't," Katherine lies with a shrug. "Simply curious."

"I see you, Katherine," Caroline explains honestly. "I see that you can be an angel and a monster both. And I don't mean that because you are a vampire."

"Enlighten me," the other vampire jokes, trying to suppress the tremor in her voice.

"I see how far you can go to look out for yourself and it scares me. I see that you would have no qualms being in a relationship with two brothers. You love to play games, and you'd do anything if it could serve your diabolical masterplan."

"Who says I have one?"

"I have no idea what the Salvatores can do for you, but there is definitely something going on here. We both know you would expose all the vampires in this town if it could save your skin, or provide you some kind of entertainment."

"You are hurting my feelings, Caroline. I am not that evil. I came here because - "

"I am not that naïve," the blonde snorts. "You and I both know you didn't lose your family in a fire a few weeks ago; you're too old a vampire for that."

Katherine blinks rapidly, taken aback at Caroline's insightful comments on her. At the mention of her family, her face imperceptibly softens and a sad glint flashes through her eyes.

"Maybe I just feel lonely."

In the space of these two nanoseconds, Caroline can see everything that's shattered and broken about Katherine, and being Caroline – a sucker for a lost cause – she wants to fix her. She wants to make her better, less of a bitch, more of a friend. She keeps these thoughts to herself, though; the part of her that cares goes back to numbness as they are feet away from the porch of the house. Servants are running everywhere, getting ready for the party.

"Fine, let's be friends. But I swear to God, if you make a move against me, or harm anyone in this house, I will find a way to kill you in your sleep. Are we clear?"

Katherine laughs and holds out her hand for Caroline to shake it.

"I thoroughly enjoy that I have already started to rub off on you, friend."

* * *

><p>The party is in full swing when Caroline is finally able to spend a few minutes with her fiancé. She is disappointed that he was not here to greet her at the bottom of the stairs earlier, when she made her big entrance. All the guests were there, though, and she has been hearing compliments from everyone about her gown. She has had time to meet Sheriff William Forbes, and she couldn't believe her eyes at how much he looks like her father. She met Jonathan Gilbert, who was really sweet on Pearl, Katherine's friend. Everything is just like Damon and Stefan have described back in Present Day. She has even met George Lockwood, who very openly expressed his regret that she wasn't sent to his house instead of Damon's. The groom and his brother only showed up a few minutes ago – and she's been trying to have a moment with him ever since. He was thrown from one side of the room to the other, already receiving congratulations from his friends and from his father's friends.<p>

"Hello, there, fiancé," she calls, dragging him into a corner with a playful pout. "I thought I could never get my hands on you."

"You know how this is," he says so as to excuse himself. "I hate those parties, too many people to see, not enough time."

She hums in response and spins around in his arms.

"You have been neglecting me so much that you haven't even complimented my dress. Luckily, your friend George Lockwood took care of that."

"The second I saw you in that dress, my heart skipped a beat. Red is your color. The color of passion and desire. You outshine every single woman in this room; every single woman I have ever seen. You look far too breathtaking for _George Lockwood's_ common eyes to see."

She laughs, delighted that he would get so obviously jealous. As to assert that she's his and not to be taken away by anyone, Damon leans in towards her and their lips lock for a longing kiss.

"Look at what you make me do. You've turned me into this bold, inappropriate person!" he says with exaggerated outrage; she laughs.

"You were inappropriate long before our paths crossed. It's about time everyone found out," she teases.

"Father already told them all, you know, about the engagement," he says with a smile. "The old man can't seem to get a hold of himself. He is delirious."

"I don't blame him," she returns playfully. "I am delirious. Aren't you?"

"I feel blessed, Caroline. Blessed that a woman like you would do me the honor of spending the rest of her days with me. The only reason why the people in this room think I'm worthy at all, is because of you," he whispers.

"Then why do you seem so sad?" she asks, slightly afraid of the answer; maybe she underestimated his affection for Katherine. Maybe he doesn't want her anymore. Maybe this is why he has been distant all day.

Before she can get an answer, Giuseppe pops out of nowhere. Caroline can't suppress a smile; he looks delirious indeed. She has never seen him smiling so much; even the way he carries himself seems different. He looks prouder.

"Everyone's waiting, son," he says in a sing-song voice.

"Yes, Father, _coming_," Damon says through gritted teeth before turning to face his fiancée again. "There is something I need to tell you before."

"Damon," his father insists.

"Fine!" he answers; he leaves Caroline with a guilty look. "I'm sorry, Caroline. Really sorry."

The blonde doesn't understand what it going on before she sees father and son standing together. Giuseppe pats Damon's shoulder with pride – a pride that she recognizes from her first days here. No. This can't be. Not now. He would have told her. _Not now. _

She doesn't hear much of anything, except for the words "leaving", "battlefield", and "duty". Everyone around her clap their hands in delight. It seems like everything is in slow motion – Damon's smile for the guests, his "I'm sorry" mouthed to her, Stefan's puzzled expression. When Caroline finally processes what she heard and her mouth drops, it's Katherine's soothing hand that comes to rest on her shoulder.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hey everyone ! So Damon and Caroline are getting married after all, and she didn't even have to feed on Dolores. Now she's made a deal to be friends with Katherine and just when everything couldn't be better, BAM, the groom is leaving for the war. <strong>_

_**How do you think she'll react to that? Do you think her friendship with Katherine will last and more importantly, is it a good thing? Oh, and, do you think she's definitely put this fresh feeding thing behind her? **_

_**From now and I'll try to upload on Tuesdays and Saturdays ! Thank you so much for your amazing feedback !**_

_**- M. -**_


	19. Unmask You the Way You Unmask Me

**A/N : It has been brought to my attention that I should preface this chapter and warn you that, after the line ""Nothing," he shrugs; he walks to the door and locks it. "Yet," he adds with a smirk, dragging the word to its maximum.", things get a slightly lemon-y. Sexual intercourse in partially depicted here. So please, feel free to skip the part if it makes you uncomfortable. My apologies to those of you who didn't know and were bothered. **

* * *

><p>Day Fifty Nine - <em>Unmask You the Way You Unmask Me<em>

_Dear diary, _

_I haven't felt the need to put pen, or quill, to paper in a long while. When I look at the words I wrote before, I am under the impression that I was a completely different person. All I can think about now is Damon. It's the only thing that matters. _

_Damon – I never thought he could be this wonderful man. He literally takes my breath away on a daily basis. I have felt this way many, many times before, but it feels like the first time. Since it's 1864 and technically, I was not even conceived, I like to think that it is. I like the idea that someday, when I blow the candles on the cake for my 200__th__ birthday, I can think of him as the first man I loved and who loved me back. _

_It upsets me that he hasn't said the words, yet. I have agreed to marry him; that alone should have let him know the depth of my feelings. And even in all the wonderful moments we have shared, never have the words escaped his lips. I have been throwing lines at him, but he answers with kisses; he knows his kisses always distract me. How could it be otherwise? _

_Every time we touch, I feel like my undead heart will jump out my chest. His fingers always leave a burning trail on my skin, so much that sometimes, it tingles just when he looks at me. I am fighting it – this desire, this lust; I am not sure I can control myself around him just yet. I refuse to hurt him, but how can I possibly explain that to him? So I just pretend that the sweet, innocent Caroline Jones was too well-raised to give herself to a man before the wedding night – how ridiculous. I am fighting myself and him, so hard. I am not sure I can keep fighting much longer. _

_The ten days that have gone by could be described with a single word – romantic. Romantic in the cutest and most annoying way. Yes, we have been throwing enamored glances at each other at dinner table, causing Katherine to roll her eyes at us. Yes, we have had dinner under the stars, and he gave my name to one. Yes, he has chased after me through the woods, and I have pretended to be clumsy and fall, just so he would catch me in his arms and sweep me off my feet. Yes, he has been calling me all sorts of ridiculous names, such as darling, love, sweetheart and honey. He has given me a ring, also, but I have denied it. I promised him I would open the box and wear it as soon as he returns from duty. My life is a movie. My days are nothing but a succession of clichés bound to romantic comedies. And I like it – not, I LOVE IT. _

_Sadly, all good things must come to an end. He is leaving tomorrow. _

_I am not even sure of the way it makes me feel. Clearly, when Giuseppe broke the news to everyone that night, I was furious. Furious that everybody else was thrilled about this, furious that Damon hadn't mentioned it earlier, furious that he was leaving at all. The old Caroline, in the back of my mind, was screaming at the top of her lungs, but I barely noticed. Her anger translated into me being terribly pouty for the rest of the party and not uttering a word to Damon for two days. _

_I was so caught up in all this life and death drama, flipping the switch versus not flipping the switch, dealing with Stefan's visits from the future and Katherine's threats that I almost forgot about the Civil War. This is so unnatural to me. We have lost all sense of events this in the twenty-first century. We have so much freedom that we take it all for granted and forget how we got there. Although I am fundamentally opposed to the idea of a war altogether, I can't help but feel grateful. _

_The way Giuseppe looks at Damon has changed and I can understand why he is eager to go. He will be making History, but most of all, he will be winning back the love and respect of his father. Who am I in the face of all that? _

_Sometimes, I think I should just compel him to stay here and be safe. I am not going through all this trouble for him to get killed on the battlefield. The mere idea of him on a battlefield makes me nauseous. He is only human; he could get hurt so easily; it only takes a bad fall or a random shot. I don't know what I will do if anything happens to him. That's what I said to him. After the wonderful ten days we have had, he thought I was over my irritation, well, that certainly proved him wrong. _

_He is leaving tomorrow and he came by earlier because he wanted us to spend some time alone. He wanted to discuss our future; what we'd do when he comes back. I couldn't help myself, I told him that he didn't know whether he'd come back or not. He smiled and said he would come home to me, at any cost. Then I promised I'd marry him, as long as his war injuries didn't involve being disfigured. It would be a pity, such a handsome face. We laughed and he kissed me._

_I wonder how it will feel to have him gone. Ever since I came here, he has been around every single day. I have grown used to the funny banter between us, to his lingering kisses goodnight. I am not used to missing him. In moments like this, I cruelly miss technologies and social networks._

Caroline closes her diary when she hears footsteps coming her way – she can tell that it's Damon, since everyone else has fallen asleep a while ago. She wraps herself into a purple dressing gown that Dolores left here for her, and opens the door before he even gets the chance to knock; she doesn't want him to wake Katherine. She rushes him inside with a finger on her lips. He has the smile of a child who's breaking the rules – which is technically what he is doing.

"What are you doing here, Damon?" she asks.

"It's almost midnight," he observes nonchalantly.

"Yes, it is," she answers sadly. "You will want to sleep."

"It's almost midnight and you haven't come to visit me," he clarifies. "We have had midnight moments for a while now and I see no reason for it to change."

"Well, I would love to see you try tomorrow," she snaps and he sighs.

She sits at her desk again and carefully puts the diary away – she'll resume her writing later. She notices a glint in his eyes and her brain also registers only now that he is in his bed clothes. There is something about him, tonight, something different from earlier. He's come here with a precise idea in mind, and she wants to know what it is.

"Something visibly rushed you out of your bed, M. Salvatore. I wonder what that can possibly be."

"I thought you'd never ask," he says with a smirk. "I couldn't sleep."

He shrugs as she gets up from her chair to sit on the bed next to him. Of course, they have grown closer, but tonight, as she looks at him sitting on the bed, she almost feels like _she_ is the one invading _his_ bed; a shiver runs down her spine as he brushes the back of her hand lightly.

"Fine, I'll play along," she sighs with a smile. "Why is it that you can't sleep?"

"Well, my love, every time I close my eyes, all sorts of inappropriate images of your body rush through my mind," he answers bluntly.

"I – erm, I certainly wasn't expecting that," she chokes.

"Such a pretty little liar, darling," he laughs, pulling her in for a hug and resting his forehead against hers. "Are you still upset with me?" he asks.

"Very much so," she lies, trying to hold back her smile at his pouting.

"Surely there is something I can do to change that?" he says lowly, his voice sending vibrations through her whole body.

"What was I thinking, believing you came here to make small talk," she sighs, pretending to be annoyed.

"That was the first part of the plan," he concedes with a smile. "As for the second…"

He leaves his sentence unfinished, quite positive that his lips leaving a trail of kisses all the way from her shoulder to her cheek will get the message across. She laughs incredulously, failing to suppress a soft sigh of pleasure. She _should _have seen it coming. His hand tangles in her blonde curls and his lips tentatively brush against hers. Caroline internally curses him; he came here to seduce her. Chances are he will get his very wicked way with her. She pulls away gently.

"Having a man in my bedchamber past curfew. I should be ashamed. What have you done to me?" she jokes.

She (almost) regrets her words immediately. Damon throws a scandalous look at her; the equivalent of what she'd refer to as "the elevator look" in 2011. From head to toe, his eyes scrutinize her and it's like she is suddenly on fire. A rush of desire makes her breath itch.

"Nothing," he shrugs; he walks to the door and locks it. "Yet," he adds with a smirk, dragging the word to its maximum.

When his fingers start to undo the knot of her dressing robe, all she can think about is that she doesn't have it in her to refuse him so this will be her first time as a vampire and she doesn't know if she can control herself, because at this very moment, she's as much painfully conscious of his flawless body against hers as of his heartbeat. She wants to love him and she wants to bite him. She wants him, in so many ways that she is not sure which one will have the upper hand. In the meantime, he takes the upper hand and pushes her onto the bed softly.

"I want you so much," he says, echoing her thoughts.

"Damon, maybe we should wait. I haven't -," she starts, but he cuts her off with a finger on her lips; she's grateful – probably the words 'I haven't done this since I turned into a vampire' would have ruined the mood.

"Please don't be nervous, darling," he whispers seductively. "You are safe in my hands."

She smiles at his naïveté; does he really believe that this is her actual first time? She needs to prove him wrong. That alone makes her forget about the bloodlust altogether, allowing the lust itself to take over.

"Maybe _you_ aren't safe in _my_ hands," she whispers in his ear.

"I doubt that," he teases.

Damon's smile widens as she takes control of the situation and rips his shirt open. With a devious smile, she nips at this neck, pushing it to the limit. She can hear his blood pumping fast into his veins. She can feel it, with her lips on his skin – she can almost taste it and it is driving her downright insane. Her kisses become more urgent by the minute, and all notion of delicacy soon subside as they both let their hunger for each other guide their every gesture. They have let this appetite build up for so long – it would be impossible to control it now that they've started to let it explode.

Damon slides his hands up her tiny frame until their fingers are intertwined. This the moment they have been waiting for. Caroline almost wants to look away from his ocean blue eyes, who have taken a deliciously sinful darker shade, because his glance alone sends her brain into frenzy. His breath is coming out ragged already and she wonders if she'll survive what's about to happen or if it'll just shatter her completely. She realizes she has stopped breathing when he frowns.

"Are you okay?" he says, his voice hoarse. "I can stop if you want me to. To be honest, I'm not sure I have enough willpower, but if you want me to, I – I can try."

She doesn't trust her own voice; she just shakes her head with a quivering smile. As he buries himself deep inside her slowly, a moan escapes his lips and she curses internally, her nails scratching his back. From that moment on, it's like she is diving into another reality, where everything is Damon Salvatore. He is everywhere. With his warm hands on her skin, his hot breath on her neck, his body inside of hers. He is filling her senses and making her lose her mind.

She buries her face into the hollow of his neck, enjoying the pleasurable sensations as much as cursing herself for letting this happen at all. She knew right from the start that it would end like this – from the very second he closed that door behind him, she knew he'd put her in this situation and she hates him for it. She hates that her throbbing fangs are so close to his jugular, and she hates that she can't even be a real vampire and bite him. She hates that she can't be a real human and simply enjoy every second of this.

"Caroline," he breathes as he starts shaking.

"Shh," she tells him, still struggling to overcome her vampire instincts.

"Caroline, I - " manages to whisper.

"Damon, shh," she repeats, annoyed that he refuses to comply.

"I love you," he pants into her ear.

Caroline gasps as both his words and his body whirl her into oblivion. Her eyes squeeze shut and she stops breathing for a few seconds, as her body completely melts into his. Just long enough for their hearts to beat in synchrony, for their hands to clasp at each other, for their lips to lock one last time.

And then it just crushes her, like a gigantic wave. It's like she is the only one standing on a beach when a tsunami is coming. She can see it, she can tell it's going to hit her and swallow her completely, yet she can't seem to run. And so it does hit her, and swallow her. She _feels_ again. Everything. Him. The lust, the love, the happiness, the fear, the sadness, the anger, the hate. Everything.

The switch, she thinks. He turned it back on. With three little words, he brought her to life again. It feels good, yet it hurts. She maintains her eyes closed as he recovers slowly from his own bliss, careful not to let the weight of his body crush her – ever the gentleman. When she is ready to face him again, she opens her eyes slowly and tears roll down her face as she takes in the loving smile on his face. He is still out of breath and has never been more handsome.

"Why are you crying?" he asks, alarmed; he gets off of her. "Is it me? Did I hurt you?"

She laughs at that. As if.

"You couldn't hurt me in a million years if you tried, Damon."

"What is it then? Do you not," he starts, but interrupts himself.

He moves just a little away from her, disengaging himself completely from her body, and brings the sheets to his waist. She frowns, sensing that he is getting suddenly nervous.

"Is it what I said?" he says, clearing his throat when the words get stuck.

"I want to say it back, but –" she says and he clenches his jaw. "But first, there is something I need to tell you. If you mean what you have just said – "

He cuts her off once again.

"I mean it," he says fiercely, pulling her in so that her head is resting on his chest and starting to run his hand through her hair. "You are my Heaven."

Caroline ignores the feeling of her insides melting at his words.

"I am not the person you think I am, Damon. And this," she says, gesturing to their naked bodies in the same bed. "This changes things. I can't lie to you anymore, not if I want to be able to say it back."

"So you mean to say it."

"Why, of course," she says with a slight smile. "What do you think I've allowed you in my bed for?"

He doesn't even smile. His brow is slightly furrowed, and he holds her closer. She closes her eyes for a second and shivers uncontrollably; despite himself, he smirks. He likes that he has so much pull over her, with a simple touch of his hand on her cheek.

"Tell me you love me, and all Hell can break loose for what I care," he whispers hoarsely.

"Damon", she warns but he leans in and silences her with a kiss.

She lets herself get distracted of course – it's like she's a newborn vampire again. All of these emotions, so powerful, so strong, so overwhelming. She can only take one step at a time, and for now, she is busy kissing him. She could do that all day; she could do that all eternity if she had to. However, for some reason, when he pulled away for air, she remembered what she meant to tell him.

"You know when you were speaking of Hell?" she says, causing him to laugh softly.

"Darling, if this is about us being intimate before our wedding night, I belong there with you. Since we're both going, we might as well continue to break the rules," he jokes and when she doesn't flinch, he sighs. "Fine, I'll play along. Why do you belong in Hell, Caroline?"

His eyes widen when she gives him an unthinkable silent answer.

* * *

><p><strong><em>I have to confess that, among the chapters I have published, this one is my favorite. So many things are happening !<em>**

**_What do you think of what Caroline talked about in her diary? How do you like Damon seducing his way into her bed? I am not so good at writing lemons, so forgive me if you're a bit disappointed by this scene. But eh - he turned her humanity back on (that dude must be so good in the sack haha) and now she showed him her vampire face ! What the Hell, right ? _****_Eventful chapter right. Tell me everything. _**

**_- M. - _**

**_PS : Next week will only have one update, I'm running a little late with my writing ! Oh, and if you haven't already, I compel you all to go read and review "Mona Lisa" by xthesebonesx right this second ! BRILLIANT Daroline/Steroline fiction written by my lovely friend Kendra. _**


	20. Scared of Lonely

Day Sixty - _Scared of Lonely_

"_Fine, I'll play along. Why do you belong in Hell, Caroline?"_

_His eyes widened when she gave him an unthinkable silent answer. She wrapped herself in a white sheet and rose from the bed. Several emotions flashed across his handsome face, struggling for dominance as the very necessary breaths remained caught in his throat. He watched, in a mix of fascination and terror, as the face of the one he loved slowly turned into that of a monster he had never dared to imagine. What she was, he couldn't tell, but his instinct told him that he had better run, while his aching heart grounded him on the bed – that bed in which he thought he had known her in the most intimate way. How mistaken, how deceived he was. The being standing before him was nothing like the sweet maiden he had just turned into a woman. _

_Frighteningly pale-faced, she was standing there in her deadly glory, her rosy lips curled up on two fangs that looked all but unnatural. The vision reminded him of gundogs when they were ready to go hunting. He thought he heard a low growl escape her, reinforcing his impression that he was in presence of a wild animal. She should be the prey, he thought. If he had to compare her to an animal, he would have said she was a deer. Better yet, a gazelle, or an antelope – a gracious creature wandering some exotic far-off lands. He was now forced to reject this hypothesis and admit that she sided with the predators. Somehow, he knew that even the deadliest of lions would run from her, with a mixture of fright and admiration. _

_Gathering his courage, he finally met her gaze. A shaky breath escaped his lips when he discovered, in lieu of the cerulean ocean he knew and adored, two dark orbs staring back at him. The white of her eyes was gone, replaced by a blood-red color that took away his remaining doubts as to her humanity. While he could peer at her soul before, all he could see now was death. Those eyes – they were the eyes of the Devil, and for a brief moment, Damon wondered whether his time had come to give up the ghost and be reunited with his mother. The thought came almost as a relief: anything rather than this. _

"_Damon," the monster called softly. "It's – don't be frightened, it's me." _

_The sound disturbed the stream of his thoughts. The monster sounded exactly like Caroline. He had heard stories. Stories about supernatural creatures that possessed the body of beautiful women with the sole purpose of luring young men into their beds so they could deprive them of their vibrant life force. Pure fabrication, he used to think, another means for his father to dissuade him and Stefan from pursuing the company of women until he considered it appropriate. How mistaken, once again. The ugly truth of those stories was standing before him. _

_All fear had now deserted him, and it seemed the demon could sense it, for she relaxed and eased out of her defensive posture. He cocked his head slightly, looking for any sign of his beloved in this unlikely mortal coil. He tentatively opened his mouth to speak, but failed. It was as if the monster had stolen his voice, like it had stolen Caroline's. He cleared his throat loudly. _

"_Damon, please," Caroline's voice said again. "I'm still me."_

_Damon's eyes widened when Caroline was back, eyes all blue and watery. She wrapped her arms around herself, and he realized that she was more afraid of him than him of her. He blinked, trying to shake off his desire to rush to her side and replace her arms with his own. He suddenly felt overwhelmed; his mind was incapable of understand what was happening. Everything was rushed when she took a hesitant step in his direction. He jumped out of the bed, covering his lower body with one of the sheets. _

"_Damon, please," she begged as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "Don't be afraid of me."_

"_Don't," he breathed. "Stay away, demon."_

"_Don't say that. I am _not _a demon."_

_Damon shook his head and retired to the door, holding the sheet with one of hands and using the second as if to keep her at a distance. He slammed the door and ran back to his own bedchamber._

* * *

><p>"He called me a demon," Caroline says. "A <em>demon!<em>"

"That's what you are, sweetheart. I suggest you get over it, now."

Caroline and her unexpected new friend are held up in Caroline's bedroom. It is still dark outside, but the sun will rise soon and with it, the entire household. The blonde vampire dreads this moment and she wishes she could hold back the sun, somehow. The incredible irony of it all would have her laughing. Never before has she feared the light of day like this, not even when she became a vampire. She focuses her attention back on Katherine.

"Not helping. I don't understand how everything got so out of control. Last night was supposed to be perfect," Caroline moans. "I ruined everything. I am a ruiner."

"That isn't even a word," Katherine sighs. "Besides, the only thing you're ruining here is my lie-in."

Caroline sighs. She had the decency to wait until the break of dawn before she knocked lightly on Katherine's door. After a night of unrest, the signs of internal turmoil were obvious on her face and Katherine immediately followed her back to her room. Besides, she can't see why the other vampire is complaining. Friends are supposed to be there for friends.

"He called me a demon and then he just walked out," she repeats for the tenth time. "I mean, he just…"

"Walked out, yes, I know," Katherine says with a patient smile. "You've told me that already, sweetheart. What I would like to know is what possessed you to show him your vampire face. Caroline, what were you thinking? He could expose you – expose _us_."

"Katherine!" Caroline exclaims, outraged. "If we're going to be friends, we might have to set a few rules. Rule n°1: when a friend comes to you because her world is falling apart, stop thinking about secret identities: listen to her and tell her everything will be alright!"

Katherine huffs in annoyance. She never thought being friends with Caroline would require such involvement. Sure enough, it is nice to have someone to talk to, although she hasn't seen much of Caroline in the past week and a half, but she isn't used to that kind of relationship anymore. She has been on the run for a very long time, and she simply didn't see how she could bring herself to care for someone again. Everyone she had ever loved ended up dead, after all. Images from the dead bodies of her parents flash through her mind. She is safe here – for now – because nobody knows what she is and Caroline might just have jeopardized it all.

"Tell me why you felt the need to do something so stupid?" she pushes.

"I felt like a cheat, okay? I didn't want to keep this from him any longer. I – I love him."

Katherine sighs.

"Love," she says, tsk-ing under her breath. "Such a destructive emotion. Tell me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that you could not feel. You seemed…off."

"I was," Caroline sighs. "That's the worst part. When I felt like things were getting out of control, I decided to stop caring altogether. It didn't change much, I simply didn't feel the bad emotions. But love…"

"I hate to break that bubble of yours, my dear, but if you have flipped the switch, it is not love we are talking about here."

"He switched it back on," Caroline confesses quietly. "Last night, when we were…together. He said he loved me and suddenly everything was back."

Katherine cocks her head with a dreamy expression. She has never heard of anything similar before. For all she knows, the only way a vampire can be forced to reconcile with their humanity is if they decide to do so.

"This is fascinating," she says. "The power he has over you is unheard of."

"Not helping," the blonde sighs. "What am I supposed to do, now?"

"I don't know, Caroline. But, erm – everything will be alright."

"Do you mean that?"

"No, I'm following your rules."

Caroline laughs a little bit. Katherine smirks at her with a careless shrug.

"I thought you didn't believe in rules, Miss Pierce."

"I don't. I'm just trying to be your friend. Work with me here."

Silence settles in the room for a little while and the two vampires distinctly hear that someone is up already. Both of them know that it's Damon. The sound of footsteps coming from his bedroom makes it obvious that he is as agitated as his fiancée this morning. Caroline closes her eyes and imagines him standing at his balcony, waiting for the sun to rise. This time, he will have a lot to think about when he reflects on the world and its endless possibilities.

"Do you think he hates me?" she asks sheepishly.

The brunette strides towards her and invites Caroline to sit in front of her mirror. Then, gently, she takes a hairbrush out from a drawer. Standing behind Caroline, she runs the brush through the blonde mane with one hand and runs her fingers through it with the other. The gesture is soothing – Caroline has always liked this feeling. She relaxes in her chair and lets her eyes close again.

"I don't know," Katherine whispers uncomfortably. "You should talk to him and find out."

"I'm scared."

"He is human, Caroline. He can't hurt you."

Caroline mentally rolls her eyes at Katherine's pragmatism. Of course she is not scared of Damon hurting her, although if he knew his vampire mythology well enough, he could easily find a stake and drive it through her heart.

"There's more to hurting someone than just physically harming them," she says in a shaky voice.

What she fears is to see that look in his eyes again. She is scared that he won't want anything to do with her anymore. She is scared that he will call off the wedding and never speak to her again. She is scared that he will leave upset and do something reckless, at the cost of his life. She is scared that he will ask his father to throw her out, causing her moment's weakness to ruin everything she has been trying to do here. Silently, she starts crying and incontrollable sobs shake her body. Since Katherine is done with combing Caroline's hair, she sits next to her.

"I'm scared of being lonely," Caroline whispers.

"I know the feeling," Katherine admits almost to herself. "But you? You won't be lonely forever, Caroline. You are one of those people."

"I don't understand."

"You make it look so easy to connect with others."

"Look what that got me," the blonde moans and a few more tears run down her face. "He is scared of me, Katherine. I can't stand the idea that when he looks at me, he sees a monster."

"I am not the one you want to discuss this with. If I were you, I would have compelled him the minute I saw this terrified look on his face."

"So if Stefan found out you are a vampire, you would compel his love?"

"Not his love," Katherine clarifies with a shrug. "I would simply take away his fear."

"But the relationship would be biased. How would you live, knowing that you've stolen his choice to love you? I want to give Damon a chance to accept who I am."

"What if … what if he is not ready? Some people simply can't tolerate our existence. To them, we are fiends that must be eradicated from the face of the Earth."

"Damon isn't like that," Caroline says softly.

Katherine simply nods her head, stopping herself from pointing out that Caroline might be wrong about that. Surprising herself, she wipes away Caroline's tears and brushes her cheek gently. She holds the blonde's gaze for a long while. Somewhere deep, deep inside her, she feels for Caroline. She wants to soothe her and help her get through this, but doing this? Being her friend? Listening to her every fear and doubt? Bonding with her? That's too much. Katherine promised herself that she wouldn't let any kind of feelings get in her way and she won't. She can't take the liberty of getting attached. She came here with a plan and she will stick to it.

She lets her hand fall off Caroline's face and turns away quickly. She opens the blonde's wardrobe and starts looking for clothes. She lays out some undergarments on the bed, as well as a simple but elegant white dress for Caroline to wear.

"Dry your tears, Caroline. Your eyes will be all red for breakfast and the others will ask questions."

"Breakfast? I'm not going."

"Yes," Katherine says in a determined voice. "You are."

"No, I'm not!"

"_Yes_, Caroline, _you are._ You will go downstairs and fix things with him before he leaves, period."

Faced with Katherine's determination, Caroline sighs and nods. She stands up and walks behind the folding screen. In ten seconds, she is all dressed and when she comes out, Katherine smiles appreciatively.

"Tell me again why I'm letting you force me into this."

"Because you asked for my advice," she sing-songs. "So now, you have to follow it. Besides, all this drama is suffocating me. Let us focus on the bright side."

"The bright side? How is there a bright side here?" Caroline exclaims.

"Well, first of all you've been whining for days about him not spitting the magic words, and now he has. But more importantly, you and the soldier got all naughty last night," Katherine points out, wriggling her eyebrows.

The shift in the air is immediately perceptible. The blonde laughs effortlessly – if this weren't such a melodramatic situation, she knows she would be dying to tell someone – anyone – about the encounter she had with Damon. Looking at Katherine now, and seeing the sheer excitement in her new friend's eyes, Caroline doesn't resist much longer.

"Well? Don't make me beg, Caroline! How was it?"

"It was amazing. He was such a gentleman, but at the same time, he was so intense. I never felt something like this before."

"Hmm," Katherine pouts. "Those are the best, aren't they?"

"Oh, someone's not getting any," Caroline teases, causing Katherine to pout.

"Stefan is such a prude. I truly enjoy his company and the conversation, but he is _such a prude_," she repeats, insisting on the last three words. "I should try Damon's technique and lock him inside his own bedroom."

"Simple but effective," Caroline says. "I've seen the way Stefan looks at you, you won't have to come to that. Maybe I could talk to him. Try to find out what's holding him up."

Katherine shakes her finger in the hair.

"Absolutely not, Caroline. You take care of your man, I'll deal with mine."

"Fine."

"Now, I think we should get downstairs."

Just then, they both pick up the sound of Damon and Stefan coming from the other end of the corridor. Their bedrooms are across the corridor, far enough from those of the girls, but they must walk outside Caroline's door to get to the staircase. Stefan's steps slow down a little and Caroline stops breathing, raising a finger to her lips so that Katherine remains silent.

"_So, brother," Stefan starts with a teasing voice. "Did you visit Caroline last night like you said you would?"_

"_I did, yes."_

"_Is that all you have to say about it? You're usually much more loquacious about these things."_

"_I'm not in the mood, Stefan."_

"_Fine. Do you wish me to see if she's awake yet?" Stefan asks. _

"_No need," Damon says firmly. "I have nothing to say to her."_

"_What is this about?" Stefan exclaims; he stops walking. "Did you have a fight?"_

"_Of course not," Damon lies. "I just mean that we said our goodbyes already."_

Caroline's heart breaks just a little more and her eyes get all watery again, as a response to the harsh tone in Damon's voice. The other vampire exhales deeply and purposefully strides towards the door.

"He is such a drama queen," Katherine huffs in annoyance. "I'll fix this for you."

"No! I have no interest in compelling my way out of this," Caroline answers blankly. "Everything about this relationship was real, and I won't have it any other way."

"Your choice, sweetheart. But I am telling you right this second, I will not stand here and watch you cry your undead eyes out over him."

Caroline simply shrugs and lies back on her bed. She's surprised that Katherine would let her dodge breakfast, but incredibly grateful. She hears them all talking lightly and Damon doesn't seem sorry when Katherine tells them that she stayed in her room because she was not feeling well.

Soon enough, she can hear Damon's footsteps hurrying outside after sharing what she can tell was an awkward hug with his father. The embrace he gave Stefan was much more affectionate; it also lasted longer.

"_Be safe, brother," Stefan orders, his nervousness clearly perceptible._

"_Not to worry, you will not get rid of me that easily."_

"_You seem nervous," the younger human observes. "If you are worried about Caroline, please don't be. I will take good care of her while you're away and she has Katherine to keep her company, as well," Stefan promises; it takes a few seconds for Damon to answer._

"_Be safe, brother," he just says._

"Humans can be so dramatic," Katherine says, standing in the doorway. "You should at least get down there and say goodbye. Oh, and are you sure you don't want to compel him? We can't have him blabbing things about vampires to a bunch of armed soldiers."

Caroline bites her lip. She thinks about it for a second and decides that her friend is right – she can't risk it. Ever since she and Katherine agreed to be friends, Caroline stopped giving Damon vervain, so she won't have any trouble compelling him. A few seconds later, both women are exiting the house, to Giuseppe's delight.

"Good morning Caroline," he greets. "Katherine told us you were not feeling well."

"I will be fine, Giuseppe, don't worry," she answers with a polite smile.

When Caroline makes eye contact with Damon, his reaction is instinctive, he smiles at her, as if what she said last night had been nothing but a nightmare.

"Darling," she calls out, praying that her poker face will do the trick for Stefan, Giuseppe and the others. "A word, please?"

"Certainly, sweetheart," he says, forcing a smile onto his lips.

For some reason, he doesn't want the others to notice the uneasiness between him and his fiancée. However, he can't bring himself to hold out his arm to her, as he usually would. They walk side to side, a few steps away from the small crowd of servants. When they have reached an area that will grant them privacy from all ears – except Katherine's, but he doesn't know that – he stops in his tracks. Before he can even say a word, Caroline's blue eyes dive into his. She is about to compel him when he speaks.

"I am so angry with you for ruining last night, Caroline. _So_ angry," he says. "What kind of monster are you?"

"Damon, please," she starts. "I never planned to hurt you. I love you," she whispers truthfully.

"Answer me! What are you?"

"I'm a vampire."

He laughs humorlessly and shakes his head.

"A vampire. Of course. Why didn't I think about that?"

"I didn't choose to be like this, Damon. I know you think I'm a monster, but I swear that it was never my intention to cause you or your family any harm."

"As far as I know, vampires need blood to sustain themselves. Is that the reason why you said you'd marry me, so you could drink my blood and kill me?"

"I _don't _do that. I – I drink animal blood," she admits and she breaks eye contact with him long enough to see Katherine shaking her head at her from the porch.

"_Get on with it Caroline, or I will. He can't tell anyone."_

"What do you want from me?" Damon asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I presume I would be dead by now if you intended to hurt me, am I right?"

"I told you," she says hopelessly. "I don't kill people."

"If you say so. What do you want?" he repeats.

She heaves a deep sigh. This is everything she never wanted to happen.

"I want you to remember what you said to me last night. You said you loved me, Damon. You said you wouldn't care if all Hell broke loose, as long as I loved you. And I do."

"I didn't know who you were when I said those things," he says through his teeth.

She nods with a sad smile. It would be so much easier to compel him to believe that they peacefully fell asleep in each other's arms. She is tempted, but she knows it wouldn't make things better. She doesn't want to alter his feelings. She wants everything to be real.

"You will keep my secret," she instructs. "You can't tell _anyone,_" she adds for good measure.

"I will keep your secret," he echoes, in a trance from which he breaks quickly, recovering his cold demeanor. "I must get going, now."

"Yes, of course," she says, wiping away a single tear from her cheek. "We can talk about this when you come home."

He doesn't answer.

"Please take care of yourself, Damon. Be careful, okay?"

"I must get going," he repeats, looking away from her sad eyes.

"Everyone is staring, Damon, please," she says. "We must behave normally."

Damon rolls his eyes and flashes a fake smile at her. He is a good liar, she thinks. Almost as good as she is. After a moment's hesitation, he drops a chaste kiss on her lips and strides out to the carriage. He kisses Katherine's hand, gives quick hugs to his father and brother. And with that, he is gone.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hey everyone ! I hope you've enjoyed this week's crazy episode and with it comes an update ! So ... how did you like the flashback from the previous day? That was something I worked really hard on ! And the KatherineCaroline friendship, did you like the way it turned out? Finally - the goodbyes were said. Sigh.**_

_**Please check out my new Daroline OS, it's called Love Autopsy ! Leave me tons of reviews if you haven't already.**_

_**Speaking of, we're reached 400 reviews - you wonderful people amaze me. Truly. My apologies if I'm a little late in answering your reviews individually, lots of things going on !**_

_**- M. - **_


	21. Flaws and All

Day Sixty-Seven - _Flaws and All_

There is always a price to pay – more than anyone else, Caroline knows that.

Being honest with Damon, her husband to be, was the right call. Nothing will change her mind about that; you could not decently base a marriage on such a gigantic lie. Telling him that she is a vampire is proof that she loves and respects him – she wants to believe that, in time, he will come to understand that. But for now, he is out there somewhere, risking his life and despising her. Every time the thought crosses her mind, something breaks inside of her. It cuts a slice of her undead heart and makes her gasp, causing tears to gather in her blue eyes. That happens so many times every day that she has lost count.

She should have known things would turn out this way. She should have, really. After all, the very same thing happened in Present Day when she told Matt – doesn't she ever learn? Why did she have to be honest? Why couldn't she just go on as they had, living a fairy tale? She curses herself daily for confessing her secret, but even more for not taking the easy way out by compelling him. Katherine was right – she should have taken away any negative feeling he had about her. But it wouldn't have been _right_.

"Doing the right thing" has lost any meaning to her now. She did the right thing when she decided to travel back in time to save Damon's life. She did the right thing when she realized that she and Human Stefan were better off as friends, no matter how enticing the idea of them as a couple might be. She did the right thing when she agreed to do as the witches said so she could go home at some point. What did that get her? She is stuck in the 19th century without anyone to talk to, and she will probably stay there forever now that Damon doesn't want anything to do with her anymore.

She has called upon "her" Stefan many times, hoping that he would pop up into one of her dreams like he used to, but Damon has been gone for a week now, and she has spent seven nights just as lonely as her days. Lonely isn't exactly the word, since Stefan has been doing everything in his power to entertain her. But she has been blowing him off; his romance with Katherine is in full bloom, and the last thing she wants is to interfere, although when she glimpses them walking together in the gardens, Caroline wonders if this is destiny mocking her.

When she thinks about it, Caroline can see that this ordeal has brought her a faithful friend. Although she is always extremely reluctant, Katherine has proven to be Caroline's most valuable asset against adversity. When she thought she should watch her very carefully, for fear that she would hurt Stefan, Caroline has now become close enough to the other vampire to be absolutely positive that her newfound brother is safe in Katherine's hands.

This is a friendship like Caroline has never known before. They don't spend hours shopping or talking about boys. Actually, they don't even talk that much. Katherine is very secretive, and Caroline? Well, she has been slightly enclosed since Damon left, too busy to deal with her pain to care for chit-chat. The reason why Caroline can call Katherine a true friend is utterly different. There is always a price to pay for everything and when it comes to Caroline's peace of mind, it's Katherine who pays it without blinking.

_Damon had been gone for a whole day. After he left, they all went back inside and settled in the parlor. Katherine was eyeing Caroline suspiciously, mentally conjuring the blonde to retrieve her smile and cheerful attitude. Of course, a light irritation for having your fiancé taken away from you would be credible, but this devastated expression of Caroline's face would do nothing but get Giuseppe and Stefan too inquisitive. _

_It was apparently too much to ask of Caroline. She barely ate that day, and neither Giuseppe's jokes nor Stefan's caring smiles could break through her armor of sadness. _

_Katherine hadn't had a friend in a long time. Of course, there was Pearl, but this was not a genuine friendship. It was a companionable association – they had been brought together by the torments of undead life. Pearl didn't trust Katherine completely and she knew it. A conversation like the one she had just had with Caroline earlier would never in a million years happen with Pearl. _

_Caroline reminded Katherine of herself, when she was human. When she looked into those childish blue eyes, Katherine saw the same glint she had in hers. The foolish, naïve, soon-to-be-lost belief that love would, in the end, make everything right. _

_The blonde retired to her bedchamber for the rest of the day – she didn't come out for lunch and dinner. All day long, while Stefan was talking to her about how he hoped things would be better between Damon and his father when his brother would get back, Katherine pondered how she could help Caroline. _

_When the sun set and everybody was asleep, she had found the answer. Caroline was a vampire, yes, but a vampire who needed training. The world was a scary place and even though she'd rather die than admit it, Katherine felt responsible for this baby vampire. She needed someone to teach her how to look out for herself; how to survive. How to protect herself from everyone around her: other vampires, werewolves, witches, and humans._

_Katherine decided she would be this person. Even though she told herself she did this only to occupy her time, she knew it was because she was developing some kind of very inconvenient affection towards the blonde. And so, she got out of bed in her evening clothes and shamelessly helped herself in Caroline's bedroom, annoyed at the sound of sobs. She found Caroline lying flat on her stomach, her hair a knotted mess around her. She could have been in this position all day._

"_What do you want, Katherine?" Caroline whined, not bothering to raise her head. "Leave me alone."_

"_Get out of bed," Katherine said shortly. "Right now."_

"_What for?"_

"_Don't make me get you, Caroline," Katherine threatened with darkening eyes. _

_The blonde heaved a long sigh and pulled away the covers from her body. She was fully dressed and hadn't even bothered to remove her corset before she crawled into bed. Katherine silently handed her a handkerchief to wipe away her tears._

"_Happy?" Caroline said with a shrug. "What now?"_

"_We will go hunting," Katherine replied and she raised a hand in the air to silence Caroline's objections. "Don't waste your breath."_

_For some reason, Caroline knew it would be no use to argue. She resigned to following Katherine, sitting in the woods and watching her drain some poor innocent of their blood. She felt so terrible that the idea of blood didn't even ignite a spark inside of her. _

_The two women carefully left the Estate and found themselves in the woods very rapidly. Caroline was silent, barely carrying herself correctly. She was walking with her head held down, her shoulders stooping. Every now and then, a sigh or a sob escaped her, but she quickly suppressed them. She didn't want Katherine to start yelling at her again._

"_Here we are," Katherine said, bringing Caroline back to reality._

_She looked around and found herself on a sandy path that led into town. She didn't recognize the place, for she always kept at a distance from busy places when hunting. She didn't understand what they were doing here – it was long after dark and nobody would venture out there unless they were very capable of protecting themselves._

"_What are we doing?" Caroline asked after five minutes._

"_Hunting, like I said."_

"_Oh, I see. Are we hunting Casper?" the blonde retorted; she regretted it when Katherine asked who Casper was. Stupid time period. "Never mind. I'll just sit there and wait until you're done."_

"_I'd appreciate it if you lied on the soil," Katherine suggested with a sly smile._

_Caroline shrugged and did as she was told, wondering what this would lead to. It was barely ten minutes before Caroline heard a horse coming their way. She lazily opened one eye to discover a black stallion carrying a young man who painfully reminded her of Damon, although her eyes could tell that he was a little taller, that his eyes weren't blue and that his hair was a shade lighter. It didn't hurt any less. Katherine ordered her to stay down. Caroline groaned and complied._

_The brunette took in a few unneeded breaths and forced her breath to come out ragged. She started to fake sobs and ran towards the horse rider, all the while waving her hands above her head like a helpless girl. Typical. Caroline could see where this was going. Katherine yelled for help and pretended that Caroline had been injured by some kind of animal. As soon as the man got off his horse to lend them a helping hand, Katherine compelled him not to be afraid. He would not run, or scream. His horse, however, sensing the danger, deserted him. _

_Caroline got to her feet and dusted her gown._

"_Can we get this over with?" she sighed, folding her arms. "I'd like to go home."_

"_And I'd like you to stop being such a mess. When life gives you lemons."_

_The older vampire shrugged and turned to the man who had been watching them with bewildered eyes._

"_What is your name, young man?" Katherine asked._

"_J-James," he stuttered. "My name is James, Miss."_

"_You see, James, you said you were willing to help my friend, Caroline. Did you mean it?"_

_James nodded uncertainly and Caroline decided it was time for her to step in. _

"_What are you doing, Katherine?" the blonde finally asked. "Leave me out of this."_

_Katherine waved her away – she didn't have time to deal with morality police right now._

"_It's just a little experiment," she said. "James, Caroline here and myself are vampires. It means that we must drink human blood. If we don't get it, we will not get better. I want you to help us." _

"_Of course, Miss," he said blankly._

_Katherine watched with satisfaction (and Caroline with horror) as he got to his knees and scrabbled until he found a sharp rock. Sharp enough to inflict a severe cut into the creamy skin of his wrist. He did not hesitate and cut deeply enough to draw blood. Immediately, Katherine emitted a low growl of anticipation. Her fangs erected from her mouth and she bit into the man's wrist, causing him to whimper softly. He didn't try to run, though, and Caroline frowned as Katherine took long gulps of warm blood. _

_For some reason, Caroline watched with fascination. The pure look of ecstasy on Katherine's face, the sounds of appreciation that escaped her, combined with James' whimpers – it was all overwhelming. Her senses were overwhelmed. That was nothing but cheap titillation and she could feel herself going just a little over the edge when Katherine stopped drinking and James strode towards her, holding his injured wrist towards her._

"_I want to help you, Miss," he simply said and waited for her to drink. _

_The blonde's eyes widened when she realized that she was actually expected to feed. Immediately, she turned away, feigning disgust._

"_Katherine, fix this" Caroline exclaimed. "I told you, I don't kill people!"_

_The older vampire licked the remnants of blood on her lips and gathered the last drops on her fingertips. She shrugged. _

"_James seems very much alive to me."_

"_I don't want to hurt him," Caroline explicated. "I- I can't, why are you making me do this?"_

"_Then don't use your fangs," Katherine sighed in annoyance. "The bite is already done. All you have to do is drink."_

_Caroline simply shook her head. Things were getting blurry around her and she couldn't even remember why she was fighting this urge. Oh, yes, because it was the right thing. She was tired of doing the right thing. But she couldn't bring herself to just drain this man of his blood. He was innocent – he had no responsibility in what she was going through. She was the only one to blame – her and her vampire self. _

"_It will help you feel better, Miss," the young man insisted, and he sounded so sane that Caroline had to try and remember whether or not Katherine had compelled him. _

_She didn't have time to conjure up the memory – she was feeling very compelled by the sight of the thick red liquid dripping from James' wrist. It was such a waste, all this blood falling on the humid grass. She might as well have a taste. It would help her feel better. She needed to feel better. She was so tired of doing the right thing…_

_She reluctantly let her own fangs protrude and Katherine smiled. _

_When Caroline pulled away from James, she couldn't believe what was happening to her. If she had agreed to try drugs in Junior Year when Tyler and other guys from her class offered, she is positive it would have felt exactly like this. Before this very moment, she had never known that blood could act like this – a band aid. From the second she put her lips to the wound and took the first gulp, it seemed like a weight was lift off her shoulders. She heard everything more clearly, she felt everything more intensely and suddenly the pain started to fade away, slowly, to the point where it was bearable again. _

_Naturally, this only made her drink more avidly. Katherine stood a few feet away, watching Caroline regain a little control over herself. When she sensed that James was getting weaker by the second, she pushed Caroline away and snapped his neck._

"_Katherine!" the blonde exclaimed. "You didn't have to do that!"_

"_Oh, I know," Katherine shrugged. "I compelled him and I killed him. He is dead because my hands snapped his fragile, insignificant human neck. This is what I do. The fact that you fed on him has nothing to do with it. Do you understand that?"_

_Caroline stared dumbly at her and nodded. _

"_Let's get going, then."_

_The following day, Caroline didn't cry. She showed up at breakfast with a smile on her face and apologized for her little breakdown. She spent the day with Katherine and Stefan – she teased her friends about their relationship, and she even mentioned Damon's name without bursting into tears. Katherine was relieved; that is, until she heard Caroline sobbing in her bed once every one was asleep. She sighed and went to drag the blonde into the forest again. _

Seven days it's been. Seven people have offered their blood to nurse her broken heart. Seven times now, Katherine has been a true friend. Caroline silences the little voice inside her head who keeps telling her that she is going the wrong way. She doesn't want to care – it huts too much. The same happens every night – after a whole day of being around the house where she has so many memories of a love she thinks is lost, Caroline breaks down. Katherine forcibly walks her to the woods and they feed together.

Katherine does not exactly condone this attitude, but feeding out of sadness is better than not feeding at all. She accepts to be the bad guy – they work perfectly as a team. Caroline never hurts or kills anyone - it's Katherine, who does it for her. While she thought they could have nights of endless funs, scheming about how new ways to lead humans into their traps, what they're actually doing is fixing Caroline. She feed more willingly now, and Katherine doesn't have to drag her anymore. Last night, she knocked on the brunette's door to get going. She liked who Caroline was becoming, even if she knew she would go back to her old self as soon as Damon came back. She decided to enjoy the fun while it lasted.

Today, it seems that Caroline will make it easy for her. After lunch, when the ladies retired to their bedchambers to change into their promenade outfits, Caroline asked Katherine to come over to hers. She summoned Dolores as well.

Right now, the three of them are standing in Caroline's bedroom and Katherine can't believe her eyes when, without further notice, Caroline compels the youth to let her drink a little blood from her.

"Well, well," Katherine praises. "It is usually me corrupting you. I appreciate the change."

"I am having a terrible day. Were you not in that room when this nonsense wedding talk happened?"

Indeed – Giuseppe asked all sorts of questions regarding Caroline's preferences for the wedding. Whether she wanted to wait for her parents to be back from Europe (she had to stop herself from asking: "What parents?"), if she wanted to purchase a wedding gown or if she'd rather have it made especially for her. She felt nauseous all the while. She got through it though, blowing him off very politely by saying that she didn't want to make any decision without Damon.

"And this is going to help you, how?" Katherine asks, gesturing to Dolores.

"It'll calm me down," Caroline says defensively.

The brunette simply smiles. She likes that Caroline now sees blood as the only way to relieve her tensions. It's healthy and it makes her more powerful each day. If she keeps going like this, she will be a different person when Damon comes back; she'll compel him to not be afraid or disgusted and the four of them, along with Stefan, could be one big happy family if Caroline agrees to turn him like Katherine intends on turning Stefan.

"Are you hungry?" Caroline asks politely, holding Dolores' other wrist to Katherine.

"No, dear, thank you very much."

"Your loss," the blonde shrugs.

She lets her fangs break Dolores' delicate skin and presses the adolescent's wrist into her mouth. She closes her eyes and a moan escapes her – it feels so good. The warmth of the blood, the way it makes her feel complete – it is perfect. She is so lost in the moment that she jumps a little when there's a knock on the door.

"Caroline," Stefan sing-songs enthusiastically. "Open up, I have a surprise!"

The blonde rolls her eyes at the inconvenient interruption. Her lips are smeared with the precious red liquid and she always hates the moment when she must stop drinking. Life immediately gets a little dull when her lips aren't sucking the blood from a whimpering and very cooperative donor.

"Do I get to have a surprise, too?" Katherine calls out childishly, just to buy some time.

Caroline reacts immediately; she bites into her own wrist and feeds some of her blood to Dolores, impatiently waiting for her wound to heal. On the other side of the door, Stefan laughs softly.

"Not this time, Katherine," he answers light-heartedly. "This one is exclusively for Caroline. May I come in, ladies?"

_Forget that I bit you, _Caroline whispers to Dolores. The young girl nods and Katherine finally opens the door for Stefan.

"If you come bearing no gift for me, consider me jealous, M. Salvatore," Katherine says with a pout.

With a small laugh, Stefan brings the yellowed envelope from behind his back and agitates it in the air.

"A letter for you, Miss Jones."

"Nobody knows I'm here," she counters with a quizzical look. "Unless it's…"

"Yes, it's from my brother," the green-eyed human smiles. "Surely you want some privacy to read it."

"Please don't leave," Caroline objects vividly. "What – what if he is only writing to make it official that he wants our engagement called off?"

"He would not bother," Stefan explains, causing Katherine to nod her head. "Damon has never been one to write letters. It even surprises me that he sent you this one."

Caroline frowns. She would let Stefan open the letter, but what if Damon is doing nothing but spill his hate for vampires? He is right, she'd better read it alone.

"You're right," Caroline says. "I am nervous because we were not exactly on good terms when he left. We had a…sort of fight."

"I know my brother, and he loves you, Caroline. He told me so himself. A fight can't change that," Stefan says, putting a comforting hand on her arm. "I am certain he is writing to ask for your forgiveness about whatever the matter it was."

She wants to believe him. Damon loves her – at least, the part of her that he knew before that night. Maybe he can learn to see past the rest? There is only one way to find out.

"I think I'd like a little privacy, after all," she smiles at them.

"Meet us in the yard for afternoon tea when you are done?" Stefan offers politely.

"I will."

Katherine reluctantly accepts Stefan's hand and both get out of the room, closely followed by Dolores. When she is alone, Caroline feels nervous all over again, and she finds that her hands are shaking a little bit when she rips the envelope open. For a moment, she contemplated the yellowed rich paper, thinking of how romantic this would be under other circumstances.

After a few minutes of staring down at the paper, as if waiting for it to tell her whether it was filled with good or bad news, Caroline takes a deep breath and unfolds it.

_Dearest Caroline, _

_Writing has never been my forte; therefore I beg your forgiveness in advance for my lack of literary qualities. However unloving I proved in our last moments together, I hope this letter finds you in the best dispositions. _

_During our night together, I came to you with the intention of sealing our union before it was time to do it. I wanted to make you mine; to know you in a way that no other man had known you before. I did not see it then, but it is very precisely what you gave me._

_Your honesty disarmed me. It plunged me into a world that I never knew existed and I believe it is an ignorant, yet human reaction to reject the unknown. All my life, I have been taught to fear what you are. Loathe it, even._

_But being here changed things. I witness atrocities daily, Caroline. Men sacrificing their lives on the altar of ambitions that will never be fulfilled, bachelors breathing their last breaths without having known the affections of a woman. Rifles, and bombings. Screams of pain and sobs of terror have almost become mundane._

_And despite my knowing that you have the power to be deadlier that the weapons we resort to every day, when I must close my eyes and get rest from the deafening sounds of war, it is your face that appears behind my closed eyes, because you have promised me that you did not harm my kind._

_Your imperfections are more appalling than I expected, that is for certain. But I am imperfect as well. The emotions in my heart are still very difficult to sort out, but please receive this letter as proof that I accept you, Caroline, flaws and all. _

_Before I met you, I never thought I could be someone's other half, but the Caroline Jones that I know made me believe otherwise. I am willing to give her a second chance. I am not saying that I can see past this. I am saying that if you would work with me, I could try. Try to embrace your greatness and your darkness both. _

_I shall return home soon. Sooner than expected. I do not belong in these scenes of devastation. I could not have known unless I came. My father will resent this decision, but I am making this decision for myself, and for you. For the possibility of an 'us'._

_Sincerely, _

_Your Damon._

As she refolds the letter and puts it back into its envelope, Caroline feels like she won't need blood to relieve her tension anymore. _I accept you, Caroline, flaws and all_. This is all she was asking for.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyone ! Sorry it took a little while for me to update, I'm struggling a little bit with these chapters. I'll try to make it quicker !<strong>

**So in this chapter, Caroline is essentially losing herself a bit, with Katherine's help but Damon sends this letter. Do you think they'll get back together? Do you think Caroline will be able to stop feeding from humans ? **

**Please read and review my new One-Shot "Smash Into You". It's not our usual pairing, but you're all my faithful readers and I'd love to know what you think about my writing when it doesn't feature Damon and/or Caroline. **

**- M. - **


	22. Possibility

Day Seventy Five - _Possibility_

Time goes by so slowly; and time can do so much.

From the moment he left to the moment he wrote this letter, Damon had time to come around and accept her. She knew, she just _knew_ that he was not one of those narrow-minded people. Deep down, she tells herself that this is why she came clean about being a supernatural: because she was positive he would forgive her deviance, understand it possibly.

Could he change his mind again? How soon is "soon", "sooner than expected"? Since she received this blessed letter, Caroline has been counting the days. She is burning for him to return; burning to kiss his remaining fears away and show him that she is still the Caroline he fell in love with. This letter has become her most prized possession. She carries it at all times, tucked close to her skin, as a reminder that somewhere, there is a man who wants to love her.

Knowing this makes everything easier. Waking up every morning, fighting the bloodlust, keeping her head held high, not tearing up when she sees Katherine and Stefan smiling lovingly at each other. She will not be at complete peace before he returns, but she believes that love will make this all right, in the end.

Of course, Katherine incessantly teases her about this, reminding her that love is a foolish emotion, a vampire's greatest weakness. Usually, Caroline just rolls her eyes, but sometimes, she just can't take it. "If you do not believe in love, then what is going on between you and Stefan?" she says. Katherine answer never varies: "It's not love, sweetheart. It's just…an infatuation. The only person I love is myself."

As delighted as Katherine is to witness her friend become lively again, the brunette is still slightly skeptic about the way Caroline is dealing with Damon's confession. Needless to say, the usual late night sneaking around has stopped.

After discovering an ally in Katherine, Caroline has been seeing a father in Giuseppe Salvatore. True, with everything that's been happening, she had completely given up on the idea of getting to know him, but with Katherine and Stefan falling in love, that left only the two of them. The old man has been a wonderful support for her over the past few days. She loves him dearly. Every time his gaze meets hers, his eyes sparkle, spreading a very welcome warmth inside of her. He spends countless hours conversing with her.

From science to politics, from travels around the world to his favorite meals, time seems to stretch much less in his company. Like both his sons, Giuseppe Salvatore is a witty man, with a sharp sense of humor. Unlike them, he seems to have lost all of his illusions about life, which makes him somewhat of a bitter man. He reminds her of Vampire Damon, a lot. He can be a little rough around the edges, what with all of his strong beliefs and his stubbornness, but those are traits that she has learnt to love about Damon, and so, she often reminds him how much alike he and his son are. He never finds anything to answer to that.

They speak about him, sometimes. Often, actually. Caroline would love to break down this wall of misunderstanding between father and son. She sees that Giuseppe has a soft spot for her and, if anything, she wishes to be a tie between them. It can be done, but only if the two men will set their pride aside and admit they have both made mistakes in this relationship.

But whenever Damon's name comes across Giuseppe's lips, Caroline's sensitive can hear that his voice imperceptibly softens, and his eyes go unfocused. She knows what this is – this is hope. She knows, because every time she is alone and thinking of Damon, her eyes go unfocused, just like his.

In anticipation of Damon's return, she asks Giuseppe questions to determine whether his son deserting the Army is something he could get over. Of course, he is adamant. Damon will, for once in his life, go to the bottom of things. He will fight for his country and return home to a wife, making his father proud. Caroline always smiles when he refers to her as Damon's wife, although her smile is laced with a hint of apprehension at the thought that she might never actually become Giuseppe's daughter-in-law.

* * *

><p>It is nearly noon when Caroline joins the rest of her family – yes, this is what they have become to her – in the dining room for lunch.<p>

"I have an announcement to make," Giuseppe starts and Caroline can't help but remember the last time he looked so solemn – when announcing that she had agreed to marry Damon. She imperceptibly winces.

Caroline tilts her head, curious to hear what he has to say but sensing she will not be thrilled.

"It had been brought to my attention that Mayor Lockwood and the other Founding Families have decided to establish an annual celebration during which all inhabitants of Mystic Falls shall mingle and rejoice."

Katherine's face immediately brightens and Caroline rolls her eyes, guessing what her friend is thinking: yet another valuable reason for them to go shopping for gowns.

"The Founders' Ball," Giuseppe resumes. "It will take place in a few days."

"Will you allow me to stay home, Giuseppe? I am not in the mood for a party," Caroline asks.

The old man puts down his fork and knife to glance sympathetically at her.

"I understand that you are worried sick about your fiancé, my dear, but Damon would hate to see you locked up here while everyone else is having fun, isn't that right, Stefan?" he asks softly.

"Yes, Father," the green-eyed human answers; he turns to Caroline. "Damon _never_ lets an opportunity to attend a party go to waste. He would be terribly upset with you for doing so, and with me for letting you."

"But every woman will have an escort," she protests. "I cannot decently go unaccompanied. People will laugh at me."

"Certainly I can walk in with the two most beautiful women in town on my arm," Stefan suggests immediately, earning a glare from Katherine.

"Giuseppe, please," Caroline urges. "I wish to be exempted. We could say I got sick."

He contemplates for a moment and finally nods.

"You will do as you please, dear child. As you please."

After that, the day goes by like every other. Caroline does some reading, she writes a little in her journal, wondering what her first conversation with Damon will be like. She wants it to be meaningful – she wants to say significant things to him, not just 'hello' or 'I've missed you'.

As usual, Katherine and Stefan drag her out of her bedroom in the middle of the afternoon.

Caroline is sitting in the grass. She is observing Katherine and Stefan who are caught in their usual outdoors game: she runs, he tries to catch her, over and over again. They look so careless, so happy together. Caroline watches them with a benevolent smile across her face as the sound of Katherine's giggles echoes in her ears. She misses Damon cruelly. She wants to laugh with him again.

Katherine's dark grey dress floats behind her as she zigzags in the maze and she reaches the statue before Stefan. Caroline frowns, wondering whether her friend has resorted to her supernatural speed.

"I win," Katherine sing-songs with a teasing smile. "What's my prize?"

"What would you like it to be?" says a voice.

Caroline freezes instantly. _Damon_. Her eyes look frantically for him and her breath gets itchy. The usual smirk across his face, and dashing in his uniform, he is sitting a few feet away from his brother and Katherine, but he cannot see her from where he is. The sound of his voice eases something inside of Caroline. He is back – he is back and he doesn't have that look of disgust on his face anymore. Her Damon is back.

"They extended your leave?" Stefan asks, surprised.

"I was simply having too much fun to return to battle," Damon explains.

What leave?Caroline wonders; if he was on leave, why didn't he come home earlier? Why didn't she know about it? – but it really doesn't matter, because he is here. He is alive and he is here.

"Your commitment to the Confederacy is inspiring," Stefan says and the two brothers exchange a hug.

"Well this works out wonderfully for _me_," Katherine observes and Caroline rolls her eyes at the obvious attempt at luring her out. She's just not ready yet.

"How's that, Miss Katherine?" Damon asks politely.

"Now I'll have both of you here to keep me entertained," Katherine says.

Caroline rolls her eyes again. Sometimes, she tends to forget that the only reason why Katherine is not dating both brothers is because of her. It awakens a raging feeling of possessiveness inside of her.

"First and foremost, I will need somebody to escort me to the Founder's Ball".

Caroline huffs in annoyance. This is obviously retaliation for Stefan suggesting that he take both her and Katherine to the ball – fair enough, Caroline thinks. Stefan and Damon's words collide in the air, as both make it very clear that they would love to accompany Katherine. From her hiding spot, the blonde cringes a little.

"The smart and kind Salvatore brothers both coming to my rescue. How will I ever choose?"

Katherine folds her arms behind her back and starts walking away.

_Talk to him_, she whispers to Caroline. _If you don't, I'll be the one showing up at the Ball with two people on my arm. _

Caroline groans a little, earning a distant chuckle from Katherine. Before Stefan and Damon have time to start talking, she emerges from behind Damon, her undead heart seemingly pounding in her ears. She has never felt more nervous in her entire life, both human and vampire. She mentally reprimands herself for it. She has overcome so many obstacles in the past twelve months, how come the mere idea of uttering a word to Damon is terrifying her?

"Oh well," Katherine pouts playfully at the brothers as she joins them again. "I have a feeling the choice has just been made for me."

She nods to Caroline, causing Damon to turn around and meet her gaze.

"Hey, stranger," she says tentatively, with the hint of a smile. "Long time, no see."

Damon's lips twitch, his jaw clenched in an attempt to master the overwhelming flow of emotions rushing through him. He has lived this moment numerous times in his mind, and he assumed he would be the one to come up with a casual way of greeting her, but he can't seem to utter a single word. Just sixteen days ago, he was here with her, but he feels like this is the first time that he has ever seen her. Maybe it is the sunrays on her delicate skin, or the light breeze blowing through her blonde curls, or her glistening eyes, but she has never appeared more beautiful in his eyes. It leaves him speechless.

"Your silence is deafening," she observes after five minutes of him staring at her with wild eyes.

"I, erm – it's wonderful to see you again, Caroline."

She closes her eyes for a few seconds, embracing the huge relief that comes with these words. Suddenly, she knows for sure that everything he wrote in his letter was true. _I accept you, Caroline, flaws and all_. She exhales deeply, the weight that had been crushing her since he left suddenly relieved. She strides towards him as Katherine and Stefan walk away, willing to give them some privacy.

"Your letter," she starts. "I – it was, erm. I – thank you for sending it."

"I needed to tell you those things."

"I want to be in your life, Damon. There is nothing in this world I want more."

He reaches out and takes both her hands into his. Caroline shivers at the sensation of his thumbs brushing the back of her hands, like so many times before. Before he knew about her, before she made a mess of things.

"I know that my confession has shaken your world, but I would not take it back. I told you about my secret because…I didn't want to be afraid of you anymore," she whispers, her voice quivering a little. She purposefully averts his gaze, reluctant to let him see her watery blue eyes.

"Says the supernatural creature," he says softly, holding her hands a little tighter.

"Why is it that nobody sees there is more to hurting someone than raw physical strength?" she asks rhetorically, causing him to frown. "You have so much power over me, Damon. You can't begin to imagine. I might be the strongest being you know, I have never felt weaker than right now, standing in front of you, waiting to know whether or not you have it in your heart to give me another chance."

Damon almost smiles at that; he likes the idea that he has a direct pull to her heartstrings, the idea that he, a mere mortal man, can take down a vampire with a single word. Being in such a position of power, having the future of their relationship in his hands, makes him aware that he owes her the truth.

"I owed you the truth, Damon," she says. "I love you."

The confession visibly moves him and a sincere smile appears on his lips, bringing a familiar spark to his eyes. It immediately vanishes, and her heart sinks when his most serious face returns.

"You must give me time, Caroline. Let me learn how to trust you again."

"Time," she echoes in a hollow voice. "Yes, time."

"It is the only way."

"Yes, time," she says again with a self-encouraging nod. After a moment's hesitation, she meets his ice-blue gaze. "I understand. I can give you time, but there is one thing I need to know, Damon."

"No more for now, dear," he interrupts her. "The only question that needs answering is mine to ask."

She frowns, afraid that he will ask her about her feeding habits, or something equally treacherous. She nods, ready to tell him whatever he needs to know.

"Miss Caroline Jones, will you do me the honor of letting me escort you to the Founders' Ball?"

A single tear – of relief, of happiness, of surprise – rolls down her cheek, and he kisses it away. Then, his muscular arms enclose her in a heartwarming embrace. She allows herself to hold on tightly to him, enjoying a moment she never dared to hope for. He has held her in his arms like this before, and it gives her hope that, with the help of time, he will put this vampire thing aside and love her _for her_ again. Okay, maybe the fact that he wants to go to the Ball with her helps a little. She steps back with a radiant smile.

"I will gladly let you be my escort, M. Salvatore," she says. "Gladly."

"Wonderful, then. Maybe we should head to the house now?"

"Of course!"

She painfully notices that he has not kissed her, but her smile soon returns when he intertwines their fingers and leads them back to the house.

"I must forewarn you, it is likely that Father will enter a fury when he sees me."

"He will get over it," she says, knowing perfectly that it's not true.

"I wouldn't hold my breath. Maybe you could use one of your supernatural powers to tame his anger?"

Caroline's eyes widen and she stops right in her tracks to throw an outraged look at him.

"Oh, don't look at me like that," he says nonchalantly. "If I am to be in a relationship with a vampire, I might as well make the most of it."

"You are truly unbelievable, Damon."

"And you love me for it."

She sighs.

"Yes."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey there ! I am so, so sorry that updates are taking so long. I have been writing other stuff and I got caught up. But as of today, Start Over has become my #1 priority again. There will be only 4 or 5 more chapters, though. I don't want to drag this to infinity.<strong>

**So - did you miss Damon? Were you expecting him to tell her that he needs time, but still escort her to the Ball ? What about Caroline's relationship with Giuseppe? **

**From now on, you'll start to see how Caroline's actions have affected the 2011 reality that we have seen on the show ! Next chapter will be in Present Time and 1864 both ! **

**Review ! I love your reviews, so much. Thanks.**

**- M. - **


	23. When Everything Falls Back Down

Day Eighty Five [Present Day] – _When Everything Falls Back Down_

It has been thirty nine long days since Bonnie has spoken to her best friend. Thirty nine days during which she has watched, successively with a smile, a frown or a shriek, the adventures of Caroline Jones in 1864, in the small town of Mystic Falls, Virginia.

Damon has managed to overcome his initial doubts. After many hours of endless talks, he now understands that she is still the same Caroline he has met and immediately fell under the spell of. The very same Caroline who always knew how to make him laugh, the girl he could confide in. He has allowed her to become his fiancée again, and her small chuckle of satisfaction has returned almost systematically when he calls her "darling".

He did escort her to Founders' Ball and Bonnie declined an invitation to the movies, because she just knew that Caroline showing up on Damon's arm in a breathtaking dress would be a hundred times better than any movie. And she was right. She watched her friend throw smiles at everyone, charm her way into the heart of Mystic Falls. Caroline always won everyone with a smile – that was her magic.

Damon was completely under her spell and Bonnie couldn't say that she had ever seen a man look at a woman with more love and devotion in his eyes. Even Stefan and Katherine, who danced together all night – although Bonnie learnt that it was very impolite for a gentleman to dance with his date so much – didn't seem to belong together as Damon and Caroline did.

After the hard time that Caroline had gone through with Matt, Bonnie is glad that someone finally loves Caroline for everything that she is. Although they have very few conversations about vampires, Damon has learnt how to "make the most of it". Despite her meager diet, now fully back to animal blood, she is still able to compel people and Damon thoroughly enjoys that he doesn't have to pay for his drinks anymore.

Alone in her bedroom, Bonnie sighs.

Everyone is constantly asking her about Damon and Caroline – which she understands, but it can be a little hard to deal with. Since Caroline has asked Stefan not to visit her anymore, the vampire has returned to his brooding, and he's the one who asks the less questions. Bonnie makes sure to fill him in regularly, although she "forgot" to mention that, at some point, Caroline started (and stopped) feeding fresh – she doesn't want him to go out of his mind with worry.

On a different note, she tells him about Damon a lot – about the way being in love with Caroline changes him. Stefan always has this glint in his eyes when she mentions that she's seen him laughing. She can tell that his heart is breaking, but at the same time, it brings him peace to know that the person he loves the most is happy.

Besides, he and Elena are getting close again. Not in the romantic sense of it, but the doppelganger, having finally found some sort of balance in her life with Jeremy and Alaric, is now trying to be Stefan's friend, his confidante. They spend time together again, but mostly they just talk. Elena has finally understood that it won't solve anything, or make Stefan feel better, but she genuinely believes that he needs someone to be there and just listen.

They have both been to the City Hall to ascertain that Caroline is doing a good job in the past – on the list for the First Founders Ball, the name _Caroline Jones_ now appears alongside those of Stefan and Damon.

Seeing some sort of proof that she still exists somewhere caused her mother to burst into tears of relief. Tyler said nothing, but it was obvious from the look in his eyes that he would be able to sleep a little better that night. As for Stefan, he simply shook his head and wondered out loud whether Caroline had driven Damon crazy yet with her annoying pre-party rituals. Elena could only laugh at that. And then, everyone burst out laughing. It was the first time in months that they had laughed together. Since then, everyone seems to be a little less scared about this whole situation. They are positive they will get Caroline back and they even hope that she could bring Damon with her.

As for Caroline herself, well, she has been living each day like there is no tomorrow. She is so caught up in her relationship with Damon, her friendship with Katherine and Stefan – she has completely forgotten about the reason of her presence in the past.

Bonnie isn't as lucky.

Emily visited her earlier. As always, with her visit came the news of more lies, more secrecy, more announces of defining moments. The young witch hates that she has to be the one to open Caroline's eyes, but she has no choice.

If she is about to take the risk of facing Caroline's hard feelings after thirty-nine days, it's because she won't be able to do it for a long time – not until her friend comes back to Present Day. The witches are shutting her off: after tonight, she won't be able to talk to Caroline, or send Stefan in her dreams, or even watch what's going on anymore.

She knew it was coming at some point. When she made a deal with her ancestors eighty five days ago – yes, she's counting – she knew that she wouldn't be able to help Caroline until the very end. This is the point of all this – to know what Damon and Caroline will do, of their own willing. Saving his life is not just about keeping him human – there's much more at stake, for all of them.

Their future will depend on what happens in the next fifteen days.

Bonnie knows she will be unable to sleep until Day 100 comes around. She will wait, impatiently, nervously, infuriatingly even, to know if what she has made the right decision. If sending Caroline instead of Stefan was the right call. Whether her friend's now established love towards Human Damon will stand in the way of their happy ending.

This is too heavy a responsibility for her sole shoulders. But she is strong; she will grit her teeth and pray.

As for now, she needs to make sure Caroline will be strong, greet her teeth and pray as well. Reality has started to sink back in – Katherine has interrupted another playful banter between Caroline and her fiancé (about the wedding, what else?) to say goodbye. Bonnie could see the shock on Caroline's face when she realized how far gone she was in her fairy tale – too far gone to notice that Giuseppe's attitude towards Katherine had slowly changed, that people around town were never out after dark again. The vampire hysteria had begun; Katherine had made her deal with George Lockwood to trade her freedom from Klaus against the moonstone and all the while, Caroline was lost in Damon's eyes, in his arms, in his bed.

Bonnie watches as Caroline's eyes well up and she takes Katherine's hands into her own.

"What will you do, now?" she asks, clearly alarmed. "Where will you go?"

"You must not look for me. It is not safe for either of us."

"But when will I see you again?" Caroline says.

Katherine sighs and shakes her head slowly. Caroline understands that they won't be seeing each other again, not in this life. It's probably the last time she is faced with the Katherine who is her friend, and her heart sinks at the thought of the manipulative bitch who pressed a pillow to her face until she died.

"I will see you around, sweetheart," Katherine teases. "I know you'll be awfully bored without me."

"I will," Caroline confesses. "You are my friend. I – I care about you."

Katherine's playful smile turns into a more sincere one as she brushes Caroline's cheek with her hand.

"I deeply enjoyed being your almost sister, Miss Caroline Jones."

Bonnie decides that she has seen enough; it does bother her to see Caroline so close to someone else. Katherine, nonetheless. Besides, the rest of the story, she knows. Katherine will stop by Stefan's room for one last night of love; she'll get carried away and bite him, which will reveal that Giuseppe Salvatore had poisoned his son's blood with vervain to determine whether or not Katherine was a vampire.

The young witch mentally thanks Caroline for not ever feeding on Damon – it will spare her the fury of the Founding Families and will leave her unharmed by their desire to eradicate the demons from their lives. This night will end in blood. Katherine will be taken away – Stefan will try to save her and die in the process. He will become a vampire and there is no time to waste; Bonnie needs to make sure that Caroline will stay safe, and keep Damon at her side.

She materializes in Caroline's bedroom, unannounced. The blonde and Damon are lying on her bed, fully clothed, seemingly lost in one another's eyes. The vision makes her heart melt. She feels guilty for being the one to burst that bubble of happiness. She is well aware of how unfair this will seem to Caroline, and she wishes she could tell her about the bigger picture – it would help her friend understand that certain things need to be done, for everything to work out fine in the end.

If everything goes right, Caroline will thank her for being the fairy godmother of this story.

Bonnie waves at Caroline discreetly, not daring to talk although she knows Damon wouldn't hear her. She feels like she is intruding in what will be one of their last moments of bliss, but she has no choice. From the corner of her eye, the blonde notices a moving figure in the mirror. She frowns slightly, interrupting Damon in the telling of one of his war stories.

"Is everything all right, Caroline?" he says. "You seem…distracted."

"Everything is fine," she smiles. "What could _possibly_ be the matter?"

Damon answers something, but Caroline is visibly not listening. Bonnie understands that this question is not aimed at him. She clears her throat and tries to make her statement as clear and as fast as possible.

"Katherine's identity is seconds away from being discovered. They'll take her away."

Caroline simply nods, sadness perceptible in her eyes. Bonnie carries on, willing to let nothing stand in the way.

"It is vital that you act surprised, do nothing and keep Damon away from it all."

Caroline's eyes widen in horror. She had completely forgotten about this. _Reality_. Elena had told her the story of that night – Stefan and Damon tried to rescue Katherine and their own father, distraught by and ashamed of their decision to side with "the demons" had shot them both in the back. She suddenly feels nauseous. Stefan is going to become a vampire. Tonight.

"Darling," Damon says, causing Caroline to tear her eyes away from the mirror. "Did I do something?"

"I am sorry, Caroline," Bonnie says.

"You have done nothing at all to upset me," she says to both her interlocutors. "I love you. I had missed you."

Bonnie smiles through her tears, as Caroline struggles to keep hers from falling. In that moment, the two friends feel more connected than they had in a long time and it gives Caroline the strength. She looks at Damon and marvels at how this clueless human being has let her, a demon, into his life. The love he has for her has led him to trust her again, unconditionally. And when she looks into the mirror at Bonnie's face, she knows that her love for this wonderful woman should lead her to trust her, just as unconditionally. If Bonnie asks her to do hard things, it's because she has a good reason, even if she refuses to say it.

Damon's soft laugh breaks the moment.

"I have been home for a while, now," he teases.

Caroline brushes his cheek with the back on her hand, a sad smile across her lips.

"I will make sure you don't ever leave me again," she says before she kisses him softly.

Bonnie heaves a deep sigh of relief. She takes it as her cue to "exit" when she hears Giuseppe Salvatore yelling "Monster! Demon!" from far away. His voice becomes closer and closer until he flies the door open, causing Damon to jump out of Caroline's bed – Bonnie can't help but smile at his faked self-consciousness.

"Father," Damon says. "What is this mess you're making?"

"Demon," Giuseppe snarls and Caroline freezes.

Bonnie's eyes widen – it is impossible. He can't know. He has been secretly asking the cooks to sip vervain in everyone's food, but Katherine had compelled them not to. So how did he find out?

"What are you talking about? Demons?" she says and Damon throws a questioning look at her; she pinches his arm discreetly.

"Katherine is with them. They have been living among us for quite some time, now," the old man says. "Vampires."

"Oh my God," Caroline says because, what else is she supposed to say?

Damon's body imperceptibly tenses at the word 'vampire'. Caroline can tell what he is thinking – if his father comes after her, he will stand in the way; protect his damsel in distress. The thought makes her heart melt and she allows herself to rest her head on his shoulder. He slides a protective arm around her waist and Giuseppe relaxes a little.

"Fear not, sweet Caroline, the matter is in good hands. We will lock them in the old church and burn it to the ground."

Caroline takes a deep breath and Katherine's name escapes her lips. She knows that her friend will make it out alive, but she can't help this knot in her stomach. Her presence here has changed things – did the turn of events for tonight change as well? Could it be that Katherine will not be able to escape?

"Katherine was not your friend, my child. She bewitched you. All of us."

"No," she whispers for herself.

"Damon, make yourself useful," Giuseppe orders. "Your brother is out of his mind. He believes he is in love with her and you must talk sense into him."

Caroline's eyes meet Bonnie's in the mirror and the young witch, despite the tears welling up her eyes, shakes her head in denial.

"No, darling, don't leave me," she says. "Please, Giuseppe."

"Caroline, I have to protect him! They'll take him away with the vampires!" he exclaims, recalling the conversations he had a few days before with his father and Stefan – he didn't tell Caroline because he didn't want to worry her.

"Damon, please," she begs, tears starting to fall from her eyes.

The old man pauses for a second, then puts his hand on Damon's shoulder.

"You have committed to this woman, Damon. You must stay with her."

"But Father, Stefan – " he starts.

"Stefan has taken sides, and he shall face the consequences on his own. "

"You always did love him the most and you'd abandon him like this?" Damon exclaims, clearly outraged. "What if it was _me_ who loved a demon? You'd end me yourself?"

"I have not raised my sons to be weak," is all Giuseppe says.

Caroline winces at his harsh tone. He seems genuinely detached from this all, although she just knows that his heart is breaking at the idea of letting Stefan go. What is it when the Salvatores and pride? she wonders. It doesn't escape her that Damon has tightened his grip around her. She throws a side glance at her husband-to-be and she can almost feel the contempt radiating from his body. She sadly accepts that she has failed in bringing father and son together – she'd wallow in self-pity later. Now she needs to do some sort of damage control. But before she can find something, Damon is speaking again, his voice low.

"What kind of a man are you?"

Giuseppe simply rolls his eyes.

"Please stop," Caroline urges. "We must stick together in such a dark time."

"This is why I must go talk to Stefan," Damon says.

"For once in your life Damon, don't be a bitter disappointment and make the sensible decision," Giuseppe says sharply.

"I am going to my brother, whatever you say," the blue-eyed human spits. "Don't stand in my way, _Father_."

"If you dare walk out that door, consider yourself fatherless, Damon. I will not have both of my sons put the dishonor on me."

Damon's eyes widen a bit, and Bonnie silently urges Caroline to step in.

"Giuseppe," the blonde calls reproachfully. "Don't let the situation get the best of you."

The blue eyed man heaves a deep sigh and steps towards his son.

"There is no time for this," he says. "Jonathan Gilbert possesses a compass which points to the vampires. I must help to lock them up."

Instinctively, Damon's head turns to Caroline and he sees the fear in her eyes. The look seems to last forever as they silently become aware of the clear and present danger for her. She can see that his heart is in two different places – he wants to lend a helping hand to his brother, because he knows how much Stefan loves Katherine and he, better than anyone, knows what it feels like to experience a forbidden love. But on the other side, there is Caroline and although he knows how strong she is, he is extremely reluctant to leave her alone. What if Jonathan Gilbert came into the house to get a hold of Katherine, and his compass pointed to Caroline?

"I will stay here with my fiancée," he growls at his father. "Protect her from this craze you and the others have spread into town. But if anything happens to my brother, I will never forgive you. I swear to God, if Stefan isn't safe and sound in the morning, I will leave you here alone to ponder your mistakes until your dying day."

"Damon, that's enough," Caroline says sternly; she releases herself from his grip and takes both of Giuseppe's hands into her own – she notices that he is shaking. "Giuseppe," Caroline says softly. "I am begging you. Do something."

Damon's father exhales deeply and meets his son's eyes. Caroline follows his gaze and the sight devastates her. He has _tears_ in his eyes. Actual tears. Giuseppe's resolution weakens.

"I will go get him," he says.

Damon heaves a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Father."

Caroline smiles a little as the old man hurries out of the room. Immediately, Damon encloses her in a tight embrace, whispering in her hair.

"They can't find you, can they?"

"I – I don't know, Damon."

Bonnie decides that she's had enough. She is positive her ancestors have foreseen the events of the night – they wouldn't have allowed for Caroline to get hurt. But this – Damon's pain, Giuseppe's wrath, Caroline's fear – it's too much for her.

"I have to go, Care," she says softly. "Please be careful. I'll be watching you."

The blonde nods imperceptibly and looks into the mirror just in time to see Bonnie's reflection fade away. _I'm alone again_, she thinks.

"You're not alone. I dare them to come in here and try to take you away from me," he says fiercely, his mouth still brushing against her blonde hair.

"What about Stefan?" she whispers despite herself.

"Father will protect him. Stefan is the son he had always dreamed of – he'd forgive him anything."

After a short silence, he clears his throat.

"What Father said about Katherine," Damon starts and back in Present Day, Bonnie's breath gets caught in her throat, just like Caroline's. "Is it true? Is she a vampire, like you?"

The blonde remains silent for a long while.

"Caroline," he urges. "Is she a vampire _like_ _you_?"

"What do you mean, like me?"

"She is harmless, isn't she? She doesn't feed from humans or use her mind control on Stefan, right?"

Back in Present Day, Bonnie winces and tries her best to keep the images from 1864 out of her mind. Damon and Caroline, arguing violently about the fact that Caroline knew about Katherine all along and did nothing to protect Stefan. Caroline bursting into tears, asking for his forgiveness, but more importantly, telling him that it's dangerous for him to go after his brother. Damon yelling that he will protect Stefan no matter what. Her friend reluctantly resorting to compulsion. Both of them going to bed and holding on tightly to each other, perfectly aware that in the morning, nothing will be the same, ever again.

* * *

><p><em><strong>There you go, folks ! Things are getting serious ! Things are getting a bit rushed, I know, but eh, here comes Bonnie again, talking about the bigger picture and stuff. Any ideas about that?<strong>_

_**Did you enjoy the glimpse of Present Time, like Stefan and Elena being friends? What did you think of the Giuseppe/Caroline/Damon scene? And about the fact that Giuseppe finally agreed to save Stefan? **_

**_What do you think will happen between Damon and Care now that he knows she's been lying to him again?_**

_**I have to warn you, next chapter will be sad. As in, VERYveryVERY sad. **_

_**Please tell me everything you thought of this.**_

_**THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS.**_

_**- M. -**_


	24. Brokenhearted

Day Eighty-Six – _Brokenhearted_

When she was done assuring him that Katherine never harmed Stefan, he sighed. Before he fell into a complete silence, he said: _"I know you want to protect me, but I am really disappointed in you, Caroline. I never thought you would steal my choices like this."_ She replied that she was also very disappointed in herself. He brushed her cheek and brought her to bed with him, just like he was compelled to.

Damon and Caroline didn't sleep that night. They simply lied there, drowning in each other's eyes, their legs brushing against each other, their breaths coming out in sync. They didn't speak much either. Silent questions were asked between those two tense bodies: would he forgive her for lying about Katherine? Would she always resort to compulsion when they'd have a disagreement? _Would Stefan be alright?_

Very early in the morning, Caroline's sensitive ears pick up the sound the front door being pushed tries to maintain an expressionless face. Damon's eyes flutter a little, scrutinizing her. _What is she not telling me?_

As she hears Giuseppe dragging himself into his study and falling into a chair, Caroline sneaks out of the bed and wraps herself into her dressing gown – the Hell with being inappropriate.

"Stay here," she whispers to Damon. "I will make sure everything is fine. Promise?"

He nods obediently, a shiver of fear running down his spine. He has never seen her carry herself with so much caution – she looks as though she might pounce onto whoever would enter the house uninvited. She turns around to nod reassuringly at him, and she speeds out of the room, leaving him astounded, since it is the first time she has done that in front of him.

She needs to know. She needs to know whether her intervention from last night managed to change things; if Giuseppe has saved Stefan. She needs to know if she can run back to Damon with good news. She needs to know if there is more to Giuseppe Salvatore than just a vampire hater.

He is a father, and despite his apparent roughness, he loves his children more than everything on the planet. She talks herself into thinking that she'll find Stefan there, being severely lectured about his falling in love with Katherine. Damon said it, Stefan is Giuseppe's favorite and she strongly believes that his father will forgive him, if he shows genuine remorse.

She inhales deeply and pushes the door open.

Stefan is not there. All she can see is an old man, his head between his hands, steadily shaking with sobs.

She respectfully stays at a distance, but clears her throat to catch his attention. He immediately wipes his face with the back of his hands and raises his head. Understanding the unasked question in Caroline's tired eyes, he slowly shakes his head. Her heart sinks. _I have failed. _She puts her hand on her mouth with a gasp.

"I – I tried," he says, trying to steady his voice. "But he was freeing the demons and I – the, erm, I thought I would be able to get there first, but…" he trailed off. She nodded.

"The others were here, too."

"They said they were going to lock him up alongside the vampires," he says, his voice filled with hatred. "My boy – they wanted to burn him alive. I couldn't allow that."

Caroline ponders the meaning of his words for a while. He looks so devastated that she can't find it in her heart to be angry with him for not trying harder. Yes, she thinks it's despicable that he let social pressure pull the trigger of his rifle and put an end to his own son's life; but he looks so devastated that the only thing she feels right now is pity. Pity for this old man whose life means nothing anymore.

"You saved him in your own way," she finally whispers, trying to bring him some comfort. "He didn't feel any pain, by dying at your hands."

Giuseppe meets her gaze, wondering how she knows that he is the one who killed Stefan. He looks deep into her blue eyes, and he thinks he sees understanding there.

"He was my son," is all he says after a while. "My boy."

She jumps a little when Damon unexpectedly enters the study. He hasn't bothered with a shirt. _Probably he is too eager to hear about the death of his brother._

"Hello to both of you," Damon greets in a sleepy voice.

Giuseppe immediately turns his back on Damon, who throws a questioning glance at Caroline.

"Where is Stefan?" he asks in a detached tone, catching her off guard. "I need to talk to him."

When both his father and fiancée remain silent, Damon blinks a few times, trying to make sense of the look Caroline is giving him. She has never looked at him like this. He has seen love in her eyes. Lust, amusement, annoyance, even anger, sometimes. She has glared at him, and thrown seductive glances his way. But this – her wrinkled forehead, the tears hanging off her eyelashes, her trembling lips – this doesn't make any sense to him. He frowns, wondering what can possibly affect her this way.

It doesn't occur to him that there could be something wrong with Stefan, because Stefan is the goddamned _favorite_ and he is positive their father did whatever _the Hell_ had to be done.

"He must be hiding somewhere, right, Father?" he says, taking a step closer to Giuseppe's turned around chair. "How silly of me to even consider you'd bring him home after last night. Keeping him away was the sensible thing to do. Can I go see him?"

It's Caroline's turn to frown. His voice is relaxed, utterly deprived of worry. Is he really so far gone in denial? Was he so confident that Giuseppe's love for Stefan was unconditional? How can he not see – feel – that something isn't right?

"Damon," she begins, as she reaches out to intertwine their fingers. "Come with me."

"No," he exclaims. "I want Stefan!"

She takes a deep breath. How does one tell a man that their father has murdered their brother? How does one ruin a life like this? _And why the Hell do I have to be the one to do it? _

Damon stares between his father and Caroline a few times and then, something in his fiancée's eyes lets him know that nothing has been going on as planned. He gasps and breaks away from her, heading straight towards his father. Giuseppe painfully meets Damon's eyes and a cry of pain escapes the blue-eyed soldier. Caroline takes a step towards him, and despite her vampire velocity, she can't catch him before he falls to his knees. His breath comes out ragged and she fears he might faint if she doesn't do something.

He keeps muttering nonsensical words to himself, and she can't even make them out. She senses anger, bewilderment, confusion and most of all, an intolerable pain that only echoes her own. She is so angry with herself for not being able to stop this. She thinks about Stefan, who must be lost and lonely, somewhere in the forest. She remembers how she felt, when she turned, and with this painful memory comes a more soothing one, of Vampire Stefan holding her and wiping her tears away. _Maybe it's time for me to be there for him. _

* * *

><p>During the rest of the day, Caroline does nothing but expect Stefan to come back. She tries her best to comfort Damon, but he has fallen into a complete silence. He spends the entire day lying on Stefan's bed, staring at the ceiling. He has no more tears left to cry. She cries with him, she tries to soothe him – she even considers resorting to compulsion to stop him from losing his mind. His grief disarms her. It hurts her.<p>

But the moment comes when she hears Stefan and Giuseppe having an argument downstairs. Damon is too numb to even care about what's happening around him. He hasn't fed all day and his eyes are wide open.

"Damon," she calls in a whisper. "I am going downstairs for a while. You must promise me to stay here."

He remains silent, barely even reacting to her voice.

"I mean it, Damon," she says seriously. "It's dangerous."

He forces himself to speak.

"Be careful."

"Always."

She waits for another minute before she makes her way to the study. She doesn't know the details, but she knows what she'll find there, and she's in no hurry. When the scent of Giuseppe's blood hits her nose, it doesn't even trigger her hunger. All she can think about is Stefan. She knows how he must be feeling. She remembers how incredibly it felt to be able to hear everything, smell scents that she had no idea existed. It was overwhelming, galvanizing even. She rushes to the study.

"Caroline," Stefan says, wide-eyed; he immediately glances at his father's body, becoming aware of what he did. "I didn't mean to – what – what have I done?"

She ushers him out of the room, resorting to strength as he repetitively says how sorry he is. Damon can't see him just yet – she isn't sure he could endure the violent emotions seeing his brother – alive, and a vampire, nonetheless – would stir in him. She gets herself together and leads the way towards the garden, where Damon can't see them. Stefan lets himself fall onto the ground, his head between his hands.

"I'm a monster," he whispers in between sobs. "I'm a murderer."

"Stefan, listen to me," she commands in the most authoritarian voice she can muster through her tears.

His eyes meet hers, and it almost feels like she is looking at herself when she was a newborn vampire. The fear, the self-loathing and, breaking through, the almost unbearable hunger for blood – always more blood.

"Caroline," he whispers. "You must stay away from me. I could hurt you."

She smiles tenderly at him, deliberately taking a step closer to the one she considers as her brother, now. She crouches, so as to be closer to him. Stefan can't seem to move away from her when she takes both of his hands.

"Do you remember me telling you that I had a secret that could change the way you looked at me?" she asks softly; he nods, visible puzzled.

Her hold on his hands tightens as she lets the dark veins appear under her eyes. Stefan stares, wide-eyed, as she reveals her fangs to him. She can't really tell whether he is relieved or horrified to discover the secret she had told him about, once upon a time.

"We are alike," he observes.

"Katherine didn't tell you?" she says curiously; she thought her friend wouldn't be that careful.

"She knew about you? She never said a word, I – I had no idea that you were a vampire."

"Surprise," she says humorlessly.

The green-eyed newborn frowns, unsure of what is to happen now.

"My father, I – I didn't," he starts, but she cuts him off.

"I know, Stefan, I know," she says reassuringly. "It was an accident. Everything will be okay."

"How can you say this? I can never forgive myself. I – don't want to be like this! My senses are so sharp that I can see things I shouldn't see, and I want _blood_ ever since I woke up," he says, his despair breaking her heart. "I don't want to be like this."

"It doesn't have to be this way," she says calmly. "I can help you through it."

"You can?"

"Yes," she smiles. "The first days as a vampire are always painful, but look at me, I've learnt to live with it."

"I don't deserve to live," he says darkly. "How could I ever live, knowing that I took my own father's life?"

"Stop saying that," she admonishes. "It was not your fault."

Silence falls upon them for a while, as she watches him trying to wrap his head around everything that's happened to him since the previous night. The loss of Katherine, his death, his miraculous yet curse of a resurrection, and now, this.

"Think about Damon," she says suddenly, causing him to brighten into alert attention.

"What about him? Is he alright?" he asks, panic-stricken.

"No, actually, he isn't," she admits sadly. "He thinks you are dead. He is broken."

"Does he know about you?" he says; she nods. "Then we must tell him that Katherine turned me. I can't bear the thought of him hurting because of me."

Caroline internally heaves a sigh of relief. She knows Stefan; his power of will could move mountains. Holding on to Damon will get him through this, with her help. She pauses for a moment, wondering how she is going to handle this. She can't risk the brothers being in the same room just yet – she must teach Stefan how to fight the bloodlust first.

"I can't let you see him right now, Stefan, I'm sorry," she says, running a hand through his hair; he reminds her of a scared child. "But soon."

"You are afraid I will hurt him," he says. "I wish I could say you are mistaken, but the mere idea of the blood in his veins makes me _so_ hungry."

The words have barely escaped his lips when his vampire face resurfaces again, and he buries his face into his hands, the burn of shame crushing him.

"It's okay," she soothes. "You can fight the bloodlust. Tell yourself you're going to get through this. Fight it off, bury it," she instructs gently, echoing the words he said to her, once upon a time.

If it worked for her, it will work for him. He cares too much about the pain he could inflict on people. She takes his hands away from his face, and the tears glistening in his eyes make her want to just die already.

"Look at me," she says. "Just breathe. In and out, slowly. Come on, Stefan."

She takes a deep breath and exhales deeply. Stefan imitates her, and after a minute, his face is back to normal, just like hers.

"See?" she says proudly. "I knew you could do it. Are you feeling better, now?"

"Yes," he marvels. "But for how long?"

"Don't worry about it. You can come to me anytime, you can never bother me."

For the first time since he woke up, Stefan feels like smiling at how she uses his own words "against" him. His lips twitch into a bittersweet smile.

"Caroline?" he calls. "Thank you."

Tears of emotions run down her cheeks when he throws his arms around her. She runs her hand up and down his back, as he buries his head into the hollow of her neck.

"Why are you helping me?" he asks softly.

"Because you are my brother," she simply says.

The moment is broken when their sensitive hears pick up the sound of someone running, inside the house.

"_Father," Damon yells. _

Caroline moves away from Stefan, asserting the situation rapidly. She did tell Damon to stay inside the bedroom, but she has been gone for a while and he must have got worried. The vampire beside her immediately gets to is feet and she has to resort to strength to stop him from rushing to his brother's side.

"You can't go, Stefan," she says. "It's too soon. You have to run and hide somewhere."

"But –,"

"Stefan, you have to go _now_," she counters. "Can you do that? Will you try to fight the bloodlust?"

"I don't know if I can do this alone."

"You won't be alone," she promises. "Think about your brother, this is the only way you'll be able to see him again."

Stefan nods, although he is still visibly considering disobeying her orders.

"_Son," Giuseppe barely manages to whisper. "Son – "_

"_Father, keep your eyes open for me," Damon commands. "CAROLINE!"_

She urges him to go, pushing him away.

"I have to go back, Stefan. Run somewhere safe. I will come and meet you soon."

Stefan nods and speeds away. As soon as he's out of sight, Caroline speeds to the house and finds Damon bent over his father. He immediately turns to her, not bothering to wipe away the tears falling from his eyes. Her jaw clenches, as she understands why he called her. He reaches out his hand to bring her closer, but she doesn't budge.

"Darling," he says in a strangled voice. "Help him."

"Damon, I don't – I can't," she stutters.

"But you said – if, if you feed him your blood just before he dies, he will come back," he insists.

She glances down to Giuseppe, and even though all strength has deserted him and he is in unbearable pain, he still manages to look at her with disappointment in his eyes. _Bring me back_, she thinks, sending a message to Bonnie. A message she knows won't be heard. _Bring me back now and put an end to this._ She listens for a pulse and notices that it's almost inexistent.

"It's too late, Damon," she says.

The old man gives one last squeeze to Damon's hand before closing his eyes. The human tentatively shakes his father by the shoulder, visibly expecting him to react. When he doesn't, Damon turns to Caroline. His eyes say it all and it's just too much for her. She's been handling all of this on her own and she wishes she could have someone to tell her everything would be alright eventually.

"He is dead," Damon says. "You let my father die."

"I'm _sorry_," she says through her tears. "I couldn't do that."

"Why not? He would have been a vampire, but he would have been alive!" he yells.

"I wanted to, Damon, I swear," she whispers. "You know how dearly I love him."

"Then why the Hell did you let this happen?"

This is the central question she has asked herself at least a hundred times since she entered the room. Feeding Giuseppe her blood would have made everything alright. Stefan wouldn't have had to blame himself for his father's death for eternity, and Damon wouldn't be thinking that he has no family left. He wouldn't be looking at her like she's a monster. So why didn't she do it? Because Bonnie told her so. Although she doubts Bonnie's instructions more than ever, she has promised her friend she wouldn't do anything reckless.

"There are things that I can't tell you, Damon," she admits; this half-confession takes a weight off her shoulders.

"How convenient," he spits. "You couldn't tell me that you were a vampire, because you thought I couldn't handle it. You couldn't tell me that Katherine was a vampire, for which reason, I still don't know. You are a liar, Caroline, that's what you are!"

His anger makes the walls tremble and she cries harder. Because he is right, she has done nothing but lie to him.

"You have turned my life into a nightmare," he states, his voice cold and distant. "I hope that you can live forever, knowing that your lies have killed Stefan and my father."

"Damon, please," she starts.

"I don't know why your lips keep moving," he says blankly. "If you have any sense of decency, you will leave, now."

Caroline nods her head, red with embarrassment. How could she blame him for this?

"I know I haven't been completely honest with you, but you _have to_ believe me," she begs before she can stop herself. "I thought my being here had changed the turn of events, I thought this wouldn't happen, and I – "

"Did I hear you right?" he cuts her off bluntly, and she closes her eyes because she can't face the look he must be giving her. "Because I thought you said you _knew _these things would happen."

The blonde digs her teeth into her lips. Damon stands up from the chair he was sitting in and nears her in a few – furious – steps and grabs her roughly by the shoulders. She almost welcomes the angry gesture, feeling like she deserves it – and so much more.

"Answer me! Did you know this would happen?" he shouts.

"No," she whispers. "I didn't."

"Look at me," he commands. "Look at me!"

As he shakes her in trembling rage, Caroline re-opens her watery eyes and allows the tears to roll onto her cheeks. Damon can't help but notice that not even the lifeless body of his father – whom she claimed to love fondly – stirred a similar reaction from her. He almost regrets being this tactless with her but her eyes tell him everything he needs to know.

"Must everything you say be a guiltless twisted lie?" he says, his voice shaking with barely contained anger.

She winces at the contempt she hears behind his words. The only person she has heard him address in that way was his father, the night before. At that second, she almost fears he will break a chair, grab a stake and put her out of her misery. But relief overwhelms her as she makes a decision she should have made days – scratch that, _months_ – ago. _Sorry, Bonnie. _

"I can explain," she offers. "If you'd just let me – "

"Don't," Damon replies coldly. "Your explanations matter little to me."

He abruptly lets go of her and falls back into his chair, inhaling deeply. He presses his fingers to his temples, massaging them slowly. For one second, he closes his eyes and imagines that none of this is real. He imagines that Stefan and Katherine walk in the house, caught up in one of their adorable yet downright annoying conversations. He imagines that Giuseppe steps in, reprimanding Stefan for whatever nonsense his father usually takes the fancy for – typically, where have you been? But his mind simply won't let him find some comfort in this alternative reality. The sounds of Caroline's sobs bring him back to this room, where the corpse of his father lies.

"I want you gone."

"You want the truth," she counters. "Once I'm done, if you still want me to leave, I will."

* * *

><p><strong>I had warned you about the sadness in this chapter, right? Okay ... So well, first, what did you think of Giuseppe in this chapter? Then there was this Steroline scene and finally Giuseppe's death and Damon's reaction to it. Please tell me which scene you liked best and why ?And then : what do you think about Caroline's decision to tell Damon "the truth"? Do you think she'll come clean about everything?<strong>

**Until next week, my darlings.**

**- M. - **


	25. Say Hello to Goodbye

Day Eighty Eight – _Say Hello to Goodbye_

_For the next hour, Damon remained silent, listening to Caroline's improbable tale, the unlikely story of how she traveled from the twenty-first century to modify the turn of events, with the sole purpose of saving his life. _

_His eyes widened when she told him that, in her world, both he and Stefan were vampires, sired by none other than Katherine. He almost laughed when she told him about the unhealthy relationship the brunette had with both he and his brother. Damon internally snorted - if she wanted to make up something, she could have at least made it believable. He would never, ever, try to steal Katherine away from Stefan. _

_He listened to the story of how their father discovered the vampires and killed them both for taking the wrong side. His eyes welled up, despite his efforts to get a hold of himself, when she got to the part where Stefan accidentally killed Giuseppe, completed his transition, and made Damon complete it as well. She didn't leave out that from that moment on, the brothers would have the most confrontational relationship. She patiently explained to him that, although he was really in love Katherine, the vampire compelled Stefan to make him more accepting of her nature. _

_And then, there was the story of this girl, named Elena, in the twenty-first century, who looked exactly like Katherine – a doppelgänger. He did laugh when Caroline, failing to suppress a roll of her eyes, mentioned that he and Stefan would fall in love with her friend, which would only revive the hostility between them. Once again, he internally snorted. He would not do that to Stefan. Stefan was everything he had, the person he loved the most on the planet – he would simply not do that._

_This story didn't make any sense. Especially not when she told him about how his vampire self met a human version of her, used her as tool to rescue Katherine from a tomb in which she wasn't. Caroline told him that she had feelings for him – feelings that he turned against her. His eyes widened when she recounted how he shamelessly bit on her, compelled her, and made her feel terrible about herself. Despite the confusing feelings he was experiencing at the moment, he couldn't see himself being such a monster to her. Disrespecting her as a woman and feeding on her? No way. _

_Then she told him about her car accident and the fact they he gave her blood to heal her. And finally, she told him how Katherine came back to Mystic Falls after 145 years to claim her love for Stefan, killing her in the process. Which made him her Sire. _

_No, really, none of this made any sense, at all. _

_However, he could have believed her, if not for the oh-so-numerous supernatural elements in her narrative. He already had a hard time believing that vampires could exist, and there she was, telling him about witches, werewolves and Original Vampires. Hybrids, curses, sacrifices, and dead witches, nonetheless. Time travel, for God's sake._

_Her voice went unsteady as she began to talk about a certain werewolf and the lethal bite it inflicted on him. According to her, nothing except the blood of Klaus – the only wolf-vampire hybrid in the world – could cure a werewolf bite. He quickly deduced that Klaus had denied them a vial of his blood, given how they had fooled him with the resurrection of the doppelganger after the sacrifice. She concluded her story on: "I owe you my life. It made sense that I should be the one to come here while Stefan stayed behind to protect the others. And so I let Bonnie's ancestors bring me back here. The rest, you know."_

_And then, she went quiet again, after what seemed an eternity. Their eyes met for the first time since she had started to talk and he raised an eyebrow at her. _

"_Let us consider that I believe you for one second," he said, his voice hoarse. "You let a vampire compel my brother! You let her into our house and you befriended her! She turned Stefan into a monster, and he killed his own father! You knew all of this would happen, yet you did nothing!" he yelled. "Is this the moment when you look me in the eye and ask for my forgiveness? For us to start over now that I know all of this?"_

"_The only way we'll see this through was for me to tell you everything," she said, visibly exhausted. "The entire truth."_

"_You know nothing about the truth, Caroline," he spat with dazed horror in his eyes. "Is that even your name? I don't know who you are."_

"_I know this is overwhelming for you, darling – "_

"_Do not call me that. I am not your darling. Everything we have been through was a lie. Everything you just said to me was a lie! And if it wasn't, well, my brother is a demon and my father is dead! If you did love me, you would have done something about it!" he exclaimed, his anger flaring up again. _

"_If I can prove to you that I am telling the truth, will you forgive me for lying?"_

"_You can't prove what isn't true," he says dismissively._

"_Yes, I can, because I am not lying. Will you give me a chance to prove myself, Damon?"_

_After a moment of silence, he sighed. _

"_From where I stand, I have no father, no brother and no fiancée anymore," he whispered. "I have nothing left to lose but my sanity."_

"_We have spent the whole night together, is that right?" she asked with a little more confidence, trying to ignore that in his eyes, their relationship belonged to the past. "I never left your side until I came to meet your father earlier, is that right?"_

"_Yes, Caroline," he sighed. "Or whatever your name might be. That is right."_

"_So it is impossible for me to know what has happened to Stefan, is that right?"_

"_Get to the point," he says sternly, slightly annoyed with her beating around the bush._

"_Do you remember what I told you about vampires entering a house?"_

"_I do not see what this has to do with your pathological tendency to lie."_

_She couldn't help a small laugh at that – typical Damon. She almost liked that even in a moment like this, he remained witty. Damon rolled his eyes at the sound. Was that some sort of joke to her? He didn't know why he was still listening to this woman. He should simply grab the closest piece of wood and drive it through her cold, dead heart. But his own heart was very alive, and very full of love for her – for who I thought she was. And so he listened, holding on to the foolish hope that her incredible tale was true, so that he could reasonably love her again. Because he was brotherless and fatherless and he needed someone to hold on to, and he desperately wanted that someone to be her. _

"_Very well," he conceded. "A vampire must be invited in. But this is Stefan's home."_

"_Your father was the owner of the house. Now that he…isn't anymore, his belongings are yours, as the eldest son. This house is yours, Damon."_

"_You are saying that unless I invite my vampire brother in, he won't be able to get inside? How does that prove anything?" he asks, not losing his focus. _

"_I will find Stefan and bring him back here. When you see that he is stuck outside, will you believe me?"_

_He silently nodded. _

* * *

><p>It was barely hours ago. Mere hours since she brought Stefan back to the house after making sure nobody would see them, and hours after Damon's heart stopped when his brother was blocked out of the house by an invisible barrier. He took a deep breath and accepted that his life had turned into a nightmare with surprising composure. He simply turned to her, ordered her to fix this. She was very aware that, as soon as Stefan would be able to handle himself, Damon wouldn't speak to her again. He made it quite clear.<p>

The blonde has forbidden Damon to invite Stefan in, and despite his burning need to tell her to just _fuck off, _he complied; she has made sure none of the servants would, either. She promised to take care of his brother, somewhere in the forest, with the help of Emily Bennett, Katherine's maid – a _witch_. Better yet, the ancestor of Bonnie Bennett, Caroline's witchy friend from the 21st century. He doesn't ask questions about how Stefan fights the bloodlust; he doesn't want to hear about more magic spells and equally insane matters.

But for now, Damon doesn't have time to worry about Stefan. The aftermath of the vampire craze from the previous night has had consequences and many bodies have been found around town, including his father's. There were much more vampires in town that he and Caroline suspected – people were under compulsion, some others were found with bite marks. It was pure horror.

Driven by the nonsensical fear that those who were bitten could turn into vampires, the townspeople have decided to have a collective burial. Sherriff Forbes came to deliver the news to Damon, not failing to mention that Giuseppe, as a Founding family member, would be sepulchered with the honors.

And indeed – standing in the cemetery right now, it seems that virtually every person Damon has ever known is there, except for Stefan. The cemetery is crowded with weeping people, as though they have just lost their own father.

Former girlfriends have come to squeeze his hand with sympathizing smiles, some of his father's friends have offered to keep him and his fiancée company at the house. Mayor Lockwood has made a very touching speech about his loss – a painful loss for the town, also – and assured him that everyone would do everything in their power to help him through this terrible period.

Words don't make any sense to Damon anymore. He simply stands there and looks at the body of this man who he barely respected but deeply loved, and he feels empty. He shouldn't be able to stand on his own two feet, he knows that. The last forty eight hours of his life have been so grueling that he doesn't think that he is capable of feeling any more emotions or it'll simply kill him.

He wants to yell at those hypocritical people, tell them that they know nothing about vampires, since Caroline is standing there, next to him, accepting their condolences, and they are completely clueless. So much for Jonathan Gilbert and his so-called vampire compass. He wants to cry over the dead body of his father, because it should be a son's natural reaction.

Caroline has forced him to feed. She has picked his clothes for the ceremony. She has accepted his silence. And during the whole ceremony, she has stood next to him, dressed in a sober yet elegant black dress, crying the tears that have deserted his eyes. He lets her hold his hand, because in the midst of all this, he can't deny to himself that he needs her love more than ever.

Despite the undeniable proof that there is something true about everything she's told him, he can't bring himself to forgive her, though. Yes, she had good intentions, but how is he supposed to wrap his head around the fact that she comes from the future, where she has another life, with people he doesn't know, and with a despicable version of himself?

He honestly would like to get over this, because then, he would be alright. Loving her was easy, once upon a time, and he finds himself wanting to go back to the days when his main concern was whether she'd agree to be courted by him. But because of her lies, he systematically questions everything she ever said to him – _did she ever love him at all? _

When everyone is gone and they are the only ones left standing there, Damon turns to face her. It's the first time he has looked at her in the eye for a while and she's almost surprised by the greyish blue of his eyes.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asks.

"I am alone," he states shyly. "I have said farewell to the man who raised me and it will be months before I am allowed to stand in the same room with my brother."

"I never wanted any of this to happen, Damon. You have to believe me."

"I do," he confesses, and she immediately smiles. "But, what now?"

She doesn't answer right away. She can't. He senses her hesitation, and it only encourages him to speak up.

"Caroline, you do know that my life is hanging by a thread right now?" he states. "There is only you in my life."

Caroline clearly perceives that he wishes things were different. And she wants that for him. She wants him to be surrounded with love; she wants him to have friends to rely on, just like she has Bonnie and Elena. She wants to bring Stefan back to him.

"I am sorry," she says awkwardly.

"The funny thing is that I don't even know who the only person I have left is. On the one hand, there is Caroline Jones, who lied to me so many times that I don't know whether I can trust her. This wonderful, bubbly girl who made me fall in love with her and broke my heart. And now, I know that she was nothing more than a character you played."

Caroline sighs. She has never been more reduced to silence than over the last two days. Damon always states inevitable truths that she can't deny. _You lied. We weren't mean to fall in love. Stefan trusted you and you let him down. You say Katherine is your friend but you didn't help her. _She has done so many things wrong that she doesn't even understand how he is still capable of looking at her. Especially in a moment like this, standing next to his father's grave. A father she could have saved if only she had been brave enough.

"And on the other hand, there is Caroline Forbes, a vampire from the year 2011," he pursues. "The real you. A girl who's had other men in her life and who doesn't love the Damon Salvatore from 1864, no more than she loves the one from 2011."

She frowns to herself, wondering how she can give a proper answer to that. Telling him about this double identity has stirred a lot of questions in herself, too. Typically : did she really fall in love with him, or what is just a product of this very particular set of circumstances? Who was it that fell in love with him? Caroline Jones or Caroline Forbes? Who is she, right now?

_Just a girl whose heart is breaking at the thought of leaving him._

Because yes – she is going to leave, very soon. When she walked Stefan back to the small house where Emily was waiting for him, the witch announced to Caroline that she'd be sent back shortly. At first, she felt relieved, because it meant that she had saved Damon. She closed her eyes for a second and imagined what it would be like to wake up in her own bed, to have silly arguments with her mother about curfew. She thought she'd finally be able to have a sleepover at Bonnie's and talk about everything that had happened. But Emily frowned disapprovingly. And then, Caroline understood.

She heaves a deep sigh. She doesn't have time to lose.

"I was not always pretending, you know," she answers after a while. "Just in the beginning, but then, I –,"

"How am I supposed to tell?"

"You can't," she admits sadly. "I know."

"You don't understand, Caroline," he says. "I'm so torn. I should hate you with everything I have."

"Then why don't you?" she says in a strangled voice.

Her eyes shine with hope, and soon after with sadness. He is right, he should hate her. But she is everything he has left, and so, he feels the need to hold on to her. He doesn't have to say it. She can see so many conflicting emotions in his eyes. Struggling for dominance, is the love he had – _still has – _for her, for every sweet word they have exchanged, for every moment they have spent together.

"Because I'm not strong enough," he confesses. "Because I want to believe that happiness can result of this chaos. Because I want to believe you when you tell me that you love me."

She bites into her lower lip as the wind blows her hair in front of her eyes, clouding her vision. In his black attire, with his jaw clenched and his eyes red and swollen, Damon just looks like he needs to be pulled into a tight embrace and be never let go of. More than anything in this moment, she wants to be the one to hold his hand through this. She wants to keep helping Stefan until he has his cravings completely under control. She wants to be there when the two brothers will finally be able to be just brothers again.

But she won't.

Her hand comes to rest on Damon's cheek. He stiffens a little, but doesn't pull away.

"I hope life treats you kind, Damon," she says lovingly. "You've had more than your share of sorrows. I hope your brother comes back to you soon, because you still have him to rely on. You and Stefan must stick together, because you're each other's best ally in adversity, like you've always been."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I need you to hear these things," she says. "Please just hear me out."

He throws a worried look at her, and she knows that he is smart – he knows that something is going wrong. Again. _It's just the third time this week that he'll lose someone he loves, no big deal, yeah, whatever._

"I hope that you find a woman who will love you unconditionally," she says, struggling to hold back her tears. "Make her fight for it, okay? Don't settle for anyone, because a wonderful man like yourself should only be with someone who wants him more than anything."

"Caroline –," he starts, reaching into his pocket. "Why does that sound like goodbye?"

"Because it is," she admits.

"No way in Hell," he protests. "You can't do this to me, not now!"

"I want you to remember, for the rest of your life, that there is someone out there who loves you more than anything. Know this. I may have been with other men before, you are the one who taught me what the true meaning of love is."

Damon shakes his head in denial, refusing to pay attention to her words. She can almost see him breaking down. She wishes she could take her time to do this – she wishes he could have time to get used to the idea.

She puts her hands on his cheeks and her thumbs caress his skin lightly. He puts his hands on top of hers, and the unexpected gesture breaks her heart. _Gotta love the drama, witches bitches. Just when he wants me back, you're taking me away. _

"Is it because you told me everything?" he asks.

"No," she lies and he lets out an incredulous laugh.

"I don't believe you."

"Okay, fine. Yes, it's because I told you."

"When are you leaving?" he asks, scared of the answer. _Anything will be too soon._

"Tomorrow, I don't know exactly when."

"_Tomorrow? _But what about Stefan?" Damon asks suddenly. "Who's going to help him if you leave?"

"Don't worry, he will cross paths with someone who'll do a better job than I ever could," she whispers, remembering that Vampire Stefan told her about his friend Lexi. "She'll take good care of him."

Silence doesn't have time to settle in between them – Damon can almost hear the clock ticking inside of his head and he doesn't want to waste the slightest second. There are so many things that he hasn't told her – and contrary to what happened with his father and to Stefan, this time, he actually has the opportunity to speak to her one last time.

"Does this mean that you've saved…me, I mean, the future me?"

"I don't know, they won't tell," she admits. "But Katherine is gone and Stefan can't get inside of the house. The main purpose was for me to stop you from falling in love with her and keeping you human, so I guess … I've accomplished my mission, even though, for some reason, I was supposed to stay longer."

"Then why bring you back? It'll mean you've done all of this for nothing," he exclaims, positively shocked at the injustice of it all.

"I knew I wasn't allowed to tell, Damon."

"Then why did you?"

"I was tired of lying. I wanted you to know that there was a _good_ reason behind my decisions, even the ones you disapproved of."

What good a reason, Damon thinks. She has been going through all of these cruel, nonsensical, supernatural, exhausting, painful moments for almost three months now, simply because she wants to save his life. How could he possibly blame her for this, now that she's about to be taken away from him? The thought of having her gone violently awakens something inside of him – a need to live to the fullest, every second they have left together. _I'll have the rest of my life to be angry with her_.

"Caroline, listen," he starts, but she cuts him off before her courage escapes her.

"No, Damon, you listen," she commands, letting her eyes dive into his.

"Don't you dare," Damon mumbles when he understands that she's about to compel him; but he doesn't move. "Darling, don't!"

She winces at his choice of words – obviously, he's trying to pull at her heartstrings with the nickname. She leans in to kiss him one last time, and he lets her. Their lips dance together with a passion that seems out of place in a cemetery. Damon clings to the bodice of her dress, oblivious to the terrible moments they've been through lately – because at the end of the day, she's the only one he has left and she's his Caroline, she's his darling. Caroline can feel the warmth of his embrace, and somehow, it makes her feel a little better, because she now knows that, if she could have stayed, they would have gotten their "Happily Ever After".

After a moment, she rests her forehead against his, letting him catch his break.

"Stay with me until tomorrow," he says, fully aware that she'll decline.

"Goodbye, my love," she whispers.

The blonde gathers her courage and pulls away from him.

"I want you to forget everything I told you about the future," she commands, using her supernatural compulsion powers. "Forget that I am a vampire and everything that's related to it. When I'm gone, remember only this: we met, we fell in love and we were going to get married when your father and brother died. I had to return to California. I want you to carry on with your life and not miss me."

She is about to speed off to gather her possessions at the house when Damon grabs her arm.

"Mind you, Caroline Forbes," he says with a slightly amused smile at her flabbergasted face. "You can't always get what you want."

* * *

><p><strong>Shocker : Caroline is being punished, which leaves a huge question mark when it comes to Damon being saved or not. Other shocker : Damon resists compulsion! Who knows how? ;) What did you think about his conflicted feelings? Tell me everything !<strong>

**Next chapter is the last one, folks. Of course, there will be an Epilogue so, two more updates and we're done. Review while you can ;)**

**- M. -**

**PS : For those of you who love Daroline (which is, like, every single one of you), my friend xthesebonesx has published a steamy Daroline OS last week, titled "Trading Places" after I challenged her to write something based off a song. GO READ IT. NOW. (It's in my Favorites)**


	26. Start Over

Day Eighty Nine – _Start Over_

_Caroline blinked several times, her blood pressure virtually heightening as he folded his arms across his chest. Damon couldn't help the self-satisfied smirk. For one second, she internally smiled at that – he hadn't smirked in way too long for her taste. But reality quickly sank back in. How in the world was he resisting her compulsion? It was absolutely crucial that she took away his memories; she was a goddamned vampire and he was only human, he couldn't resist her powers, could he? _

"_How do you do that, Damon?" she asked, wide-eyed. "Stop it. Right this second!"_

"_I am not doing anything."_

"_Then how come I can't compel you?" she said, annoyed._

"_I guess my willpower is stronger than yours," he teased._

_He rolled his eyes as she searched through his pockets. No vervain. He spontaneously held out his wrist for her to inflict a painless cut in it and taste his blood. No vervain. He simply shrugged when she tried to compel him again and failed. _

"_Now, shall we get home and enjoy the few hours we have left together?" he said. "Let's pretend tomorrow is never coming."_

_She shook her head in disbelief and followed him back to the house, unable to refrain a smile when he intertwined their fingers._

* * *

><p>When she looks at the deadly handsome man cracking jokes at her, she can see no trace of the mourning soldier. She almost wonders if, as well as resisting compulsion, he has the ability to turn off the bad emotions, because he is taking this whole "let's pretend tomorrow is never coming" thing to the next level.<p>

At some point, she realizes that she owes it to him to give him one last night of this fairy-tale love, and so she tricks herself into believing that she's not a screwed-up mess. She stops mentioning Giuseppe, Stefan and Katherine. _Tonight is simply about a man and a woman, young and in love._ The careless days of their relationship rise from their ashes. Damon warmly welcomes the bright and bubbly Caroline.

From this moment on, she laughs harder that she's ever laughed. Damon laughs with her, tears gathering in his eyes. There isn't even a reason why, and they don't need one. The only thing that matters is that they're buckling over with laughter, and they stare at one another in an attempt to commit this image to memory.

All it takes for him to pull her into his arms and kiss her hungrily is an accidental brush of hands. As his lips dance over hers and he leaves fingerprints all over her creamy skin, something snaps inside of her. They make love again and again, restlessly, enjoying every touch and every whisper until they simply collapse contentedly next to each other.

Despite his best efforts, Damon falls asleep shortly after. The peaceful rhythm of his breathing lulls Caroline to sleep, and only when his arms are lazily around her does she feel like she can close her eyes. She looks at his content face one last time, and the hint of a smile across his lips makes her eyes well up. Her fingers brush against his skin delicately and she wonders what his life will be like, in just twenty-four hours, when she's gone. She wonders if he'll be able to keep it together, if he will find someone to help him through this. All she has is questions and the answers, she probably won't ever know…

She doesn't even realize when sleep takes over her.

When she wakes up the next morning, she has to take a few minutes to remember everything that's happened. The last hours of her life have probably been the best. In all honesty, when she will look back on her life a few decades from now, she knows there will be moments with her mother, moments with her friends, but _this_? This has to make the top three, she thinks happily as she lazily snuggles against Damon's warm body. She knows time is running out now, and she can tell that he's awake, but she keeps her eyes closed, hoping it will hold back the sun, somehow.

"I know you're awake, darling," he says. "We don't have much time."

She whines a little, upset that he's visibly given up on the pretending. She liked that better. Her eyes open slowly and she looks up to his wrinkled forehead.

"I thought you'd bring me breakfast in bed and we'd sleep in," she protests childishly.

"Caroline," he says in a patronizing. "We must talk."

"Of course, _now_, you want to talk," she pouts, bringing the sheet to her chin.

Damon rolls his eyes a little and brings her closer to him until her head is resting on his chest. Caroline immediately relaxes; his heartbeat is possibly the most appeasing sound in the world to her.

"I said terrible things to you," he states. "And I am sorry about that. When I called you selfish, it was a lie. You are possibly _the_ most selfless being I have ever met."

"If I had been, I wouldn't have gotten involved with you. I would have spared you the pain of saying goodbye," she objects.

"I am happy you didn't," he says. "Saying goodbye is nothing in the face of everything we've shared."

"It's sooner than I thought but I knew this could happen," she reasons. "I wanted to avoid exactly_ this_."

Damon pauses for a second, thinking. She said her mission was to distract him so that he wouldn't fall in love with Katherine. He laughs a little.

"There was no way for you to avoid this, love. Ask anyone, the only way to distract me from a woman is a more beautiful one."

"I figured," she teases. "I am just glad that you allowed me to distract you."

"You are not a distraction," he says very seriously. "I will remember you, Caroline," he promises with a broken smile. "For the rest of my life, darling, you'll be a flame burning inside of my heart."

"So dramatic," she teases with a bittersweet smile.

"I mean it," he insists. "I will never love again the way I've loved you."

He rolls over to reach inside of his night table, and Caroline's heart sinks at the sight of the tiny box he'd already tried to give her a few weeks ago, when everything was still a fairy tale.

"If we had had more time, I would have gotten over my anger eventually. And then I would have made you Mrs. Salvatore. I want you to have this."

Her breath gets stuck in her throat when he delicately puts the magnificent ring on her finger. She can't help but smile at how well it fits. It was destiny that she should have it. Of course this is nothing like an actual marriage, but she likes the idea that for the rest of his life, he'll think of her as his wife.

The reasonable part of herself wonders how she'll go on with her life when she gets back. How is she going to handle Matt, and Tyler? She loves them, of course, but not the way she loves Damon.

"Mrs. Caroline Salvatore, uh?" she muses in a voice strangled by emotion. "I like the sound of it."

"It is music to my ears," he adds. "It's perfect."

Caroline rolls her eyes at his sentimentality. Even in the most romantic moments of their relationship, he has never been one to truly pour out his feelings.

"I am infinitely grateful to have met this side of you, Damon," she confesses. "Promise me you won't turn into the bitter man I once knew, in my time."

"All emotions are beautiful," he shrugs, knowing that she'll just roll her eyes at him. "You have taught me that. I feel like we have been going back and forth ever since we met, but I wouldn't change that for anything in the world."

She silently smiles at him. Right now, she finds herself grateful for his unexpected resistance to compulsion; she wouldn't have been able to be the only one to remember all of this. She contemplates the ring on her finger and she isn't so afraid to go anymore – she'll belong to him forever, just like he'll belong to her. Somehow, having this ring brings her peace, and it makes it okay that she's stuck in a moment that wasn't meant to last.

As if on cue, Bonnie magically appears into Caroline's room. This time, it's not in the mirror; it's like her friend is actually here. She looks as though she is genuinely sorry to be there, and Caroline feels bad for her friend. She needs to make sure she tells Bonnie that she understands, that she doesn't blame her for anything.

"Take my hand whenever you're ready," the witch says, her voice filled with sympathy and understanding.

Caroline inhales deeply. Damon frowns, sensing that something is going on that he does not quite understand. He holds Caroline's hand stronger; he thought he was ready to let her go, but now that she's seconds away from leaving, he can't fight his instinct.

"The time has come, hasn't it?" he asks slowly. "Right now?"

"My friend Bonnie is here," she whispers. "She came so I wouldn't be alone."

"That's good," he nods. "I don't want you to be alone, ever."

"I won't be," she says reassuringly. "And you won't be either. Everything will be alright from now on."

He nods, although he clearly doubts her words. Any sign of the funny, careless Damon from last night has vanished; it breaks her heart. She glances at Bonnie, almost pleading her friend to take her away now before she does something reckless to jeopardize her return.

"Take my hand, Care," the young witch commands firmly. "It's going to be okay."

Caroline bites her lip and turns to Damon once again.

"Close your eyes, darling," she instructs. "It'll be as though this was all a dream," she promises him.

She wants his last memory of her to be her smiling face. Of course, he can probably tell that she is faking it, but still. She feels like she can hold back the tears until Bonnie brings her back to her home. Then, she'll break down completely into her friends' arms, but hopefully she will be able to look at Stefan and tell him that his brother will leave a human, happy life.

Damon shakes his head – he wants to enjoy every last second of her blonde curls and beautiful blue eyes and oh-so-pretty smile. He leans in towards her and gives her a bittersweet kiss – the last one, he knows. His fingers comb through her locks feverishly and it's more than Caroline can take. She reaches out and grabs Bonnie's hand.

She knows what to expect and so she isn't surprised when her skin goes on fire and she feels violently pulled back. Contrary to the first time Bonnie used that spell on her, she keeps her eyes wide open and looks at Damon until the light completely blinds her. The fall never stops – she keeps falling, and in the meantime, she starts crying, grasping her friend's hand tighter.

It's over. She and Damon are over. She has the rest of eternity to mourn this relationship; what matters now is the question mark hanging over her head. _Has she saved him? _

When Bonnie stops chanting, Caroline opens her eyes to a familiar room. She is standing exactly in the same place she was when Bonnie performed the spell the first time, her back turned to Damon's bed. She exhales deeply, unsure of what she is supposed to do now. Her first instinct would be to pick up her skirts and curtsey at her friends, but she realizes that she's back into her favorite pair of jeans – and it simply doesn't feel right.

She frowns. Elena is crying in a corner of the room, and Jeremy rushes to her side, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Stefan sighs and run his hand through his hair, visibly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. _This doesn't feel right. _Why is everyone so devastated? Why aren't they hugging her, welcoming her back warmly? Did she fail? Is that why they don't seem to care that she's back?

"Caroline, can you hear what she's saying?" Elena asks.

"What?" she says dumbly. "Who are you talking about, Elena?"

"Bonnie, of course," Elena informs, quirking an eyebrow at her. "Is she still chanting? She'll come up with something to save him."

Caroline almost chokes when she finally manages to identify the weird feeling she has been experiencing since she's been back. She spins around and her eyes widen in horror when she lays eyes on a weakened Damon. He is lying there in his black shirt, sweat covering his face. When she glimpses the ugly werewolf bite, she feels lightheaded – and not in a good way.

"It's déjà vu," she says, heading straight for Stefan. "This has already happened before, Stefan, what's going on?"

The green-eyed vampire throws a quizzical glance at her, visibly not understanding a single word she's saying. Panic starts to build up and she feels a weight crushing her chest, making it hard for her to breathe. _No, no, no. This can't be happening. _

"Caroline," he says patiently, although his voiced is laced with annoyance. "What are you talking about?"

"I've lived this moment before! Bonnie came back with a time-travel spell for us to save Damon and you wanted to go but I convinced you that I should be the one to do it! She sent me back to 1864!"

Everyone in the room pauses, turning to her with incredulous looks in their eyes. For one second, she almost wants to disappear because she can't stand to have them staring at her like she's insane.

"Caroline, you have not left this room," he states slowly.

She can hear in the way he's addressing her that in his eyes, she's simply having a breakdown.

"I swear it's true, I've been gone for over three months! I – I don't understand! I did everything I was told, he's supposed to be okay now," she says, the sobs taking over.

Stefan wraps his arms around her and his hand travels up and down her back in a soothing motion. She can't take it anymore – she breaks down and lets the tears fall.

"I want to see Bonnie," Caroline manages to say. "She was there, she came back with me! Where is she?"

At this precise moment, Bonnie enters the room with an undecipherable expression on her face. An expression that Caroline has seen before. She leaves Stefan's arms to stare at Bonnie.

"Bonnie," she begs. "What's going on? I did everything the witches told me, why is he still dying? And why don't _they _remember anything? Tell them you came to get me in 1864, tell them!" she urges.

The dark-skinned teenager remains silent.

* * *

><p>Stefan believes her now, since he could provide no logical explanation for her having his mother's ring. Alaric and Jeremy remain silent in a corner of the room, feeling like they have no business here, in the middle of the three people who love Damon Salvatore the most. As for Bonnie, well, that's a different story. She hasn't spoken a word since she made her appearance in the room and she's pacing nervously around the room, as if expecting something.<p>

Caroline doesn't understand. Her mind simply refuses to process what's happening. She's back to the start; it's as though the past three months of her life have been nothing but a dream. How is that even possible? The witches promised they'd save Damon. Could it be that she's ruined it all when she decided to tell him the truth? She'll never forgive herself. She won't be able to live knowing that she's the reason why her one true love, her husband of sorts – no, being back in 2011 hasn't quite modified the old-fashioned Southern spirit that she's grown to like – will be dead.

Everyone is giving her an awkward slash embarrassed slash sympathizing look and it's driving her insane, but she can't seem to rush out of the room. She's sitting next to Damon on the bed, incessantly moping his brow and whispering to him. She wants to get a word – anything – out of him. She wants to know if he remembers, if he loves her. If he can forgive her.

But the fever is making him more delirious by the minute, and he doesn't even seem to know who she is.

"Bonnie," she says again. "Tell me what is happening. _Bonnie_, fix this!"

"She can't," Stefan says in a whisper. "Can you?"

For the first time, Bonnie acknowledges that she's being talked to. She slowly shakes her head in denial, but there's something more in her eyes, something that Caroline can't quite identify.

"Bonnie, is there more to this?" she asks suddenly. "Something you can't tell us?"

Bonnie pauses for a moment, shakes her head and simply starts pacing again.

* * *

><p>It's over. No more heavy breathing, no more coughing, nothing.<p>

Jeremy is holding Elena in his arms. She's crying so hard that she might choke. Alaric watches them with pity and, from time to time, when his glance wanders around the bed, his jaw clenches.

Stefan's tears are silent. He has collapsed right then and there on the floor, refusing to lay eyes of the lifeless body of his brother. His rock, his everything. His entire world.

As for Caroline, she's sitting next to Damon, her hand still firmly holding on to his. She stares at his face and she almost expects him to wake up from his peaceful sleep. She hasn't shed a tear. She hasn't screamed. She can't breathe – thank God she doesn't need to.

Bonnie is still pacing around the room.

* * *

><p>Alaric convinces everyone to go downstairs and have a cup of tea, or coffee, or fucking Bourbon – anything, as long as they get out of this room. Slowly, they all head out, with the exception of Caroline.<p>

"I can't just leave him like this," she says. "He's going to freak out if he wakes up alone."

Nobody dares to contradict her. Stefan gives her a kiss on the forehead. The hurt in his beautiful green eyes shatters her just a little more. As soon as they're all gone, she breaks down. Her body collapses onto his and she's not even strong enough to cry.

* * *

><p>"Damon," Caroline whispers. "Forgive me, my love…"<p>

Elena enters the room shyly with a cup of coffee. Caroline clears her throat and tries to get a hold of herself.

Her breath gets stuck in her throat when she feels Damon's fingers squeezing hers. She doesn't react at first, but then he presses her hand tighter, and she thinks she hears him swallow. Her head shoots up immediately and she thinks she has gone completely mental when his eyelids flutter.

"Elena," Caroline says. "Get Stefan and Bonnie, now."

"What? Why, what's going on?" the brunette asks.

"Elena, I said _now_!" she barks.

The doppelganger complies and runs off downstairs. Confusion is written all over Damon's face as he watches the brunette nod and leave. Caroline puts a restraining hand on his chest to stop him from getting up. She searches for anything familiar in these eyes, and he frowns.

Stefan, Elena and Bonnie run back into the room. At the sight of his brother, Damon's body relaxes a little. The green-eyed vampire almost faints and Elena lets out a small squeal. The only one who doesn't seem surprised is Bonnie. The witch's face breaks into a huge grin and she exhales deeply, her shoulders losing the overburdening tension they had been bearing.

"You're here," the dark-skinned teenager breathes. "It worked."

Tears are running down her face, because she's been keeping this secret for more than three months now, and seeing him here – it's like she can breathe again. Damon tentatively pushes the covers away from his body and stares at his clothes with a puzzled expression. Caroline doesn't understand what's happening in front of her eyes. He was _dead_ – he died in her arms just _minutes_ ago and now he is striding towards Bonnie.

"I will be forever grateful," he says and then he kisses her hand.

She nods, blushing slightly from the sheer gratitude she can hear in his voice. Everyone in the room frowns at his uncharacteristic politeness.

When he lets go of Bonnie's hand, Damon hesitates, then holds out his hand for Stefan to shake. His younger brother immediately wraps his arms around him in a tight embrace, but he still looks shocked. For once though, Caroline is positive that Stefan won't look too far into it. The why and how matter little.

She frowns, and her relief is suddenly clouded by sadness. The three months she has lived with "her" Damon in 1864 are still nothing but a memory. He might be alive, he is still the vampire she has always known, the jackass who fed on her and the guy who's desperately in love with Elena. Her heart drowns at the thought. _He loves Elena. _But despite her inner breakdown, she manages to look at him with a genuine grin. He can't seem to let go of Stefan.

This is the image she has secretly been imagining all along and she can't believe that this time, it's not a dream. She can't believe the turn of events. It's real. Somehow, Damon is alive and he and Stefan are acting like brothers and – could it be that what she sees in Damon's eyes when he looks at Elena is … disinterest?

Damon turns around to face Caroline. The blonde notices that Bonnie is staring in between them with just a little too much attention. She can't even muster a teasing comment to her friend; she's way too awe-struck for that. Because when he is standing just inches away from her, she can feel the heat radiating off his body, and she can hear the light thump _thump _that she has cherished for three months.

She dares herself to put a hand on his chest and her sensitive fingertips can feel the beating of his heart, just underneath the skin. She feels lightheaded. As if to eradicate her remaining doubts, Damon's lips come to brush against hers lightly; they are _warm_ and she immediately feels weak in the knees, causing him to slide an arm around her waist to keep her from falling.

"My darling," he simply says, taking her hand where the ring is.

_Holy. Mother. Of. God_, she thinks.

_Let's start over_

_We both know this love won't die_

_Maybe we can start all over_

_And give love another life. _

Beyoncé – Start Over

* * *

><p><strong>First off, Merry Christmas everybody ! I hope you all had a good time with your loved ones.<strong>

**So, this is technically the final chapter for this fiction, with one of my evil cliffhangers. I'm sure you didn't understand everything about the last part, but guess what? There's an epilogue coming your way ... IF you review enough ^^**

**Love y'all.**

**- M. - **


	27. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

When she called on them for help while she knew she shouldn't, the witches demanded that Bonnie prove to them that Damon's life was worth saving. Considering her lack of affection for him and his history of recklessly endangering the human race, it was no easy task. But the young witch didn't falter – she had to find something, anything.

So she stood there and said that he would play a major part of taking Klaus down and admitted that she wasn't sure they could manage to do that without him. The witches were left unmoved – Damon was not the only strong vampire on the planet, if she really wanted to have help from one.

She immediately brought up her friends. Elena, who didn't deserve to have another loved one taken away from her when she had just buried two; and Stefan, who had no family left but Damon. This argument failed as well – Elena and Stefan would get over it, just like every other "normal" person on the planet got over the death of someone close.

She paused for a moment and confessed that Damon had saved her, that night at the Decade dance. He'd made sure she'd walk out of the confrontation with Klaus alive. He protected her, like he had protected Emily's descendants. This argument was easily invalidated – he had protected the Bennetts simply because he'd asked something from Emily in return.

At that point, she almost thought this was a lost cause. She took a deep breath and tried once more – she'd never forgive herself if there was a solution that she failed to find.

She stated that Damon Salvatore, just like every other living creature, was capable of goodness. Of course it was hard to tell, looking back on the things he'd done since he got back to Mystic Falls, but she said she was positive about it. She argued that everything Damon did, he did for love – although yes, most of the time, he was outrageously out of line. The answer she got was clear: whatever the reasons, the bad could not be undone.

It was then that the idea popped into her head.

It was her final argument that made the difference. She underlined that the real responsible for Damon's dark side was Katherine Pierce. Not only did she turn him into a vampire; that woman played games with his heart, broke him and his brother apart, and plunged him into 145 years of pain. The loss of her was what made him who he was, and since witches were there to maintain the balance of Nature, he should be given a chance to prove himself, free of her terrible influence.

This seemed to catch the witches' attention.

After what seemed an eternity, Bonnie watched as Emily Bennett, her ancestor, materialized in front of her. She came with a message, or more precisely, an offer.

The witches would send Damon back to 1864, before he met Katherine. With the help of a guide – one of her friends that she'd pick – he would be kept away from his Sire long enough for him not to fall in love with her, long enough for her not to turn him. Once Katherine would be out of town, there would be two possibilities.

Either Bonnie was right, and it was Katherine who made Damon the monster he was in the witches' eyes, in which case they would bring human Damon back into the present to resume his life with his brother; or the turn of events in the past happened to prove that she was wrong and he didn't have a good heart. In this case, Damon would be brought back into the present in his vampire form, and the bite would kill him.

Her ancestors added a clause to the contract: no one could know about this. She was only allowed to tell them about the time travelling, and nothing more. Any disrespecting that rule would inevitably lead to the cancellation of the deal. Back then, the secrecy seemed a minor detail.

It was an enormous risk to take. If she was wrong, would she be able to live with the responsibility of his death? But then, she realized that he was already dying at this very moment – if she didn't accept the deal, he would die all the same, and she'd still be responsible, because she wouldn't have even tried.

And so, she accepted. But nothing had gone on as planned, had it?

First off, Caroline stepped in and decided that she should be the one to go with Damon. Bonnie was slightly uncomprehending. How would Caroline fit in her plan? There were nothing but hard feelings between the blonde and the vampire. Caroline was the living proof that Damon had a wild side that needed to be tamed, and the fact that her friend felt like she owed him anything wouldn't change that.

But then, as she watched Human Damon become infatuated with her friend, Bonnie figured that it wasn't such a terrible idea to have sent Caroline, after all. If she trusted Stefan, only a woman could stand between Katherine and Damon. And so, she had watched the idyll blossom and turn into a sincere love, with the vivid fear that this might end in tears.

A fear that was only reinforced when Caroline came clean about being a vampire. Bonnie was positively furious. This is exactly why she didn't want Caroline to go – her friend was far too honest, caring and most of all, impulsive for such delicate matters. This stay in the past would, without a doubt, cause damage to Caroline's emotions, no matter the outcome. Something like this would not have happened with Stefan, because Stefan knew about magic spells; he was aware that there were loopholes, and he knew that it was vital to follow the instructions closely. However, for some reasons that remained unknown to her until this day, her ancestors judged that this little confession didn't jeopardize the deal, and the experiment went on.

Bonnie was rather (unpleasantly) surprised to find that Katherine and Caroline became such close friends, especially after Caroline started to feed on human blood. That woman was a bad seed; she casted darkness upon everyone she met. Bonnie feared that her ancestors would punish Caroline for fresh feeding, but when nothing happened, she figured it was because this whole thing was about Damon, not Caroline.

And so, she kept the secret, and she watched Caroline fall deeper and deeper in love, and she watched Damon accept her vampire nature and try to get along with his father and not give a damn about Katherine Pierce at all.

All was well in the world – or at least, all would be well, if things stayed like this. Of course, they didn't.

The night where it all started, Bonnie had been honest when they said the witches were cutting her off. She wasn't allowed to watch over Caroline anymore, but she was positive things would turn out fine. She trusted her friend. So when Emily materialized in front of her to inform her that Caroline had broken the rule about secrecy, Bonnie thought she was going to pass out.

She tried to convince her ancestor to renew the terms of their deal, but Emily was a mere messenger – she wasn't the only one making the decisions. Bonnie had to accept that she had failed. However, she didn't fail to point out that it was Caroline's mistake that cancelled the deal – as far as Damon was concerned, proof had been made that without Katherine in his life, there was no reason for him to turn into a sociopath. Emily seemed genuinely sorry.

But the biggest surprise came later, when they were downstairs, forcing some coffee down her throat. She had never felt lonelier in her entire life. Elena's gaze was burning a hole right through her and for a moment, Bonnie wondered what her friend was mad about: was it because she supposedly let Damon die, or because she sent Caroline back in 1864? Not that it made a big difference. The doppelganger left to bring Caroline some coffee and ran back downstairs, saying that something was going on upstairs.

Bonnie couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Damon's blue eyes wide open, and more importantly, his arm completely healed. It didn't make sense until he rose to his feet and kissed her hand. She had watched enough of 1864 to identify the gesture as typical of a Southern gentleman and his words – _I will be forever grateful – _confirmed that she was faced with the human version of him.

How? It was Damon himself who provided the explanation to her, later, in private.

Emily was moved by Bonnie's distress, and she agreed that Caroline telling him all the truth had nothing to do with whether or not he had a pure heart. The Bennett witch considered that Damon had proven himself, and she interceded for him. Of course, the rest of the witches strongly disapproved, but Emily was one of their own, and they agreed to help her. And so, just seconds after he watched his beloved vanish magically, Damon found himself faced with Katherine's maid, who explained to him that if he wanted to, he could be sent to the twenty-first century as well.

When he asked why they changed their minds, she simply smiled and said that love conquered all. Seconds later, he was standing in that strange room with all of them, but more importantly, with this other him lying on this bed, dying. He tried to catch their attention and failed. It was then that he understood that he had taken the shape of a spirit. A spirit who watched as his sweet Caroline broke down, and Stefan as well – there were two people he didn't know, Bonnie and the one he identified as Elena.

It was a puzzling experience, to look at his own body decline to death – but he didn't have time to ponder about this. Soon enough, he felt himself irresistibly attracted into this carnal envelope.

This was how Human Damon's essence was insufflated into Vampire Damon's dead body.

It's been a month, now.

To the outside world, life has gone exactly as it had. Of course, they notice that Damon Salvatore and Caroline Forbes are now walking the streets of Mystic Falls holding hands, and that the dark mysterious guy has turned into a much lighter person, but it's nothing worth reflecting on. For the little group of friends, however, life has flipped 180° in a matter of days.

Everything isn't perfect – Stefan still doesn't remember anything about his friendship with Caroline, which deeply upsets the blonde, but it doesn't really matter; she spends hours telling Stefan about the moments they spent together, and she simply hopes that when Katherine decides to come back, they can try to be friends again. Now that she's seen another side of _Katerina Petrova_, she knows they can be great friends, and that's just enough for now.

Damon is human. More, he is back to his human self from the nineteenth century. It is incredibly funny to watch him adjust to the years 2010s. The first time he saw a car, he looked like a child on Christmas morning; he almost had a heart attack when Bonnie's cellphone rang and she started chatting with her father carelessly. He marvels incessantly at how Mystic Falls has changed but at the same time, remained the same.

He and Stefan are brothers again, and the smiles of complicity between those two are like magic.

All is well in the world, for real, this time.

The only one who has actually trouble adjusting is Elena. It kind of upsets Bonnie, because Damon's return has put in evidence what they were all trying to deny before: Elena is in constant need of his attention. But Bonnie did warn them; she did say that whatever happened with the time travel spell, Damon would be lost to them. Well, the Damon that Elena knew, and loved a little more than she should have, is indeed lost, and the doppelganger has a hard time accepting it.

But it's not like she has a choice, since Damon is _truly-madly-deeply_ in love with Caroline. It is plain for everyone to see, and even Matt and Tyler have backed off in the face of a love like this. The ring shining on Caroline's left hand is a proof for the world, and although her mother almost fainted when she saw it, she was quickly reassured – the modern Caroline isn't completely gone, and Damon had to accept that they would not get married any time soon.

When Bonnie looks at them, she wonders if they'll live happily ever after. Despite the impending threat of Klaus attacking them, Caroline refuses to turn Damon into a vampire just yet – and Stefan agrees – but honestly, the phrase _happily ever after_ was probably invented for people like these two.

_Fin_

* * *

><p><strong>So ... This is the end, for real, this time.<strong>

**I started writing this fiction on July 21 and now it's Dec 27. Can you believe you put up with me for five months? **

**My heart is breaking just a little and I want to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for the 600+ reviews. I don't think anything I've ever written was so much read and reviewed. Your comments have made me laugh, and smile and jump and I have to admit that I sometimes cried a little when you told me how I made you love Daroline or you got so caught up in a chapter. **

**I will be posting more One-Shots from now on. I'll stay faithful to Daroline, of course, but I'll try to explore other pairings as well, and I hope I'll see your names pop up in my notifications for future notifications of reviews.**

**I love you all dearly.**

**See you soon, **

**- M. - **


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